<:/^^. 


DEC   d  1917 


Section   .  Kl^- 


Study  Courses  for  Adult  Classes.  Preparatory 

Schools  and  Advanced  Groups  in  Weekday 

Religious  Instruction 

Kingdom  of  God  Series 

A  course  in  the  Development  of  the  Kingdom  of  God 
in  four  parts 
I.  In  Old  Testament  Times. 

Two  volumes.  By  John  Bayne  Ascham. 

II.  The  Life  and  Teachings  of  Jesus. 

Two  volumes.  By  Harris  Franklin  Rail. 

III.  Since  the  Time  of  Christ. 

Two  volumes.  By  John  Bayne  Ascham. 

IV.  The  Christian  Hope. 

One  volume.  By  Harris  Franklin  Rail. 

(In  preparation.) 
Teacher's  Manuals  to  accompany  this  course  are   in 
preparation. 

Life  and  Service  Series 

^  Short  elective  courses 

Studies  in  the  Parables  of  Jesus.  Thirteen  lessons. 
By  Halford  E.  Luccock. 

Poverty  and  Wealth.     Thirteen  lessons.     By  Harry  F. 

Ward. 
The  Liquor  Problem.     Thirteen  lessons.     By  Norman 

E.  Richardson. 
International  Peace.     Thirteen  lessons.      By  Norman 

E.  Richardson. 

International  Graded  Series 

The  Bible  and  Social  Living.  Fifty-two  lessons.  In 
one  volume  or  in  quarterly  parts.  By  Harry  F. 
Ward. 

The  History  and  Literature  of  the  Hebrew  People.  Fifty- 
two  lessons.  In  one  volume  or  in  quarterly  parts. 
By  Robert  W.  Rogers. 


KINGDOM  OF  GOD  SERIES  ' '  ^^ / 

Edited  by                           (           QfQ  .^     jg-^y 
Henry  H.  Meyer  and  David  G.  Downey  '•. 

THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 


BY  v^ 

HARRIS  FRANKLIN  RALL 


THE  ABINGDON  PRESS 

NEW  YORK  CINCINNATI 


Copyright,  1917,  by 
HARRIS  FRANKLIN  RALL 


The  Bible  text  used  in  this  book  is  taken  from  the  American  Standard 
Edition  of  the  Revised  Bible,  copyright,  1901,  by  Thomas  Nelaon  &  Sons,  and  is 
used  by  permission. 


CHAPTER 


I. 

II. 

III. 

IV. 

V. 

VI. 

VII. 

VIII. 

IX. 

X. 

XI. 

XII. 

XIII. 

XIV. 

XV. 

XVI. 

XVII. 

XVIII. 

XIX. 

XX. 

XXI. 

XXII. 

XXIII. 

XXIV. 

XXV. 

XXVI. 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Thy  Kingdom  Come  on  Earth  ....  7 

A  Word  from  the  Author 9 

Suggestions  for  Study 12 

Between  the  Testaments 13 

The  Law  and  the  Hope 22 

Foundations  for  the  Kingdom   in 

Jesus'  Day 30 

John  the  Prophet 38 

Jesus'  Preparation  and  His  Call     .     .  45 

Choosing  The  Way 51 

Beginning  His  Work 57 

Jesus'  Ministry  to  the  Sick     ....  64 

The  Ministry  to  the  Sinful    ....  70 

The  Companions  of  Jesus 77 

Popularity  and  Opposition 85 

Beyond  the  Borders  of  Israel    ...  92 

The  Great  Confession 100 

The  Transfiguration 107 

Approaching  the  Cross 115 

Entering  Jerusalem 123 

The  Message  of  Warning 131 

Final  Conflicts 139 

Prepajiing  the  Disciples  for  the 

Future 147 

The  Last  Supper 157 

Gethsemane 164 

The  Trial 171 

The  Crucifixion 18,0 

The  Risen  Christ 188 

A  Review 194 

The  Achievement  and  the  Challenge 

OF  Jesus'  Life 200 

Indexes 207 

5 


THY  KINGDOM  COME  ON  EARTH 

The  kingdom  of  God  does  not  complete  itself  in  the 
redemption  of  the  individual.  It  includes  the  individual 
and  infinitely  more.  The  Kingdom  means  that  some  day 
science  and  society,  commerce  and  civics  and  letters  and 
trade  shall  be  sweetened,  purified,  and  uplifted  till  they 
are  in  happy  harmony  with  the  will  and  purpose  of  the 
divine  Father.  Only  so  can  there  be  anything  like  an  ade- 
quate answer  to  the  first  petition  of  our  Lord's  Prayer. 
"Thy  kingdom  come  and  thy  will  be  done  on  earth  as  it  is 
in  heaven," 

Jesus  clearly  intended  that  his  disciples  should  interest 
themselves  in  the  temporal  and  earthly  aspects  of  the 
heavenly  Father's  dominion  and  power.  They  are  to  pray 
for  the  coming  of  his  Kingdom,  and  the  accomplishment 
of  his  will  on  earth,  even  as  they  pray  for  daily  bread  or  for 
the  forgiveness  of  sin.  "Thy  kingdom  come.  Give  us  day 
by  day  our  daily  bread.  And  forgive  us  our  sins."  To  pray 
thus  sincerely  and  intelligently  presupposes  active  partici- 
pation in  the  working  program  of  the  Kingdom;  that  is, 
in  all  those  activities  making  for  that  transformation  and 
reconstruction  of  life  through  which  alone  individuals  and 
organized  society  can  be  brought  into  accord  with  the  will 
and  the  rule  of  God. 

Too  often  in  human  history  the  sharp  contrast  between 
actual  conditions  and  the  higher  demands  of  the  Christian 
ideal  has  discouraged  those  upon  whom  rested  the  responsi- 
bility for  making  that  ideal  real.  A  short-range  view  of  life 
has  obscured  the  actual  growth  of  the  Kingdom  which  the 
larger  perspective  of  history  reveals.  In  the  face  of  the 
overwhelming  preponderance  of  sin  and  selfishness  in  the 
world  the  Christian  Church  has  again  and  again  contented 
itself  with  snatching  as  many  brands  as  possible  from  the 
burning,  without,  at  the  same  time,  seeking  to  organize  the 

7 


8  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

constructive  forces  of  life  and  of  society  for  the  seemingly 
impossible  task  of  putting  out  the  conflagration.  Thus  the 
actual  process  of  the  Kingdom's  coming  among  men  has 
proceeded  for  the  most  part  "without  observation,"  like 
the  first  growth  of  the  seed  that  has  been  buried  in  the  soil. 

It  is  possible  to-day,  in  the  light  of  the  completed  records 
of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments  and  the  subsequent  history 
of  the  Christian  centuries,  to  discover  definite  stages  of 
advance  with  successive  landmarks  of  progress  in  the  grad- 
ual establishment  of  the  reign  of  God  in  individual  lives 
and  in  the  institutions  of  mankind.  Such  a  survey  of 
progress  already  achieved  should  hearten  the  organized 
Christian  forces  in  their  forward  look  and  their  endeavor  to 
establish  still  more  firmly  among  men  the  principles  and 
ideals  of  the  Kingdom,  It  should  encourage  the  individual 
to  redouble  his  efforts  and  inspire  in  him  an  unfaltering 
confidence  in  the  ultimate  realization  and  triumph  of  God's 
rule.  Herein  lies  the  purpose  of  the  special  course  of  study 
in  the  Development  of  the  Kingdom  of  God  in  which  this 
volume  constitutes  one  textbook.  Part  of  the  course  orig- 
inally was  issued  in  periodical  form,  providing  adult  Bible 
classes  with  consecutive  studies  covering  a  period  of  three 
years.  These  studies  have  been  carefully  revised  and  are 
now  offered  for  wider  use  in  a  series  of  convenient  and  inex- 
pensive textbooks. 

Beginning  with  a  brief  consideration  of  the  funda- 
mentals of  religion  and  the  nature  of  man  and  of  Deity,  the 
studies  trace  the  development  of  religious  experience  and 
ideas  among  the  Hebrews  and  the  Jewish  people  down  to 
the  beginning  of  the  Christian  era.  This  early  period,  cover- 
ing the  development  of  the  Kingdom  in  Old  Testament 
times,  is  presented  in  two  volumes  of  twenty-six  study 
chapters  each,  the  division  being  made  at  the  point  in  the 
historical  development  following  the  rise  of  eighth-century 
prophetism  and  the  fall  of  Samaria.  In  similar  manner 
two  volumes  are  devoted  to  the  Life  and  Teachings  of  Jesus 
which  are  assumed  to  be  of  central  importance  in  the  for- 
ward and  upward  movement  of  humanity. 

Subsequent  studies  present  in  two  volumes  a  survey  of 


A  WORD  FEOM  THE  AUTHOR  9 

the  Development  of  the  Kingdom  since  the  time  of  Christ, 
including  a  discussion  of  those  social-religious  movements 
of  the  present  day,  the  support  and  inspiration  for  which 
are  to  be  found  primarily  in  the  Christian  conception  of 
God  and  the  world.  The  concluding  volume  of  the  series 
is  entitled  The  Christian  Hope  and  presents  in  construc- 
tive form  the  abiding  faith  of  the  Christian  fellowship  in 
the  final  triumph  of  the  kingdom  of  God. 

It  is  confidently  expected  that  in  their  revised  form  these 
studies  will  serve  a  two-fold  purpose.  As  elective  courses 
for  adult  Bible  classes  interested  in  this  vital  and  most 
fascinating  of  all  studies,  their  usefulness  has  been  much 
enhanced.  At  the  same  time  they  are  intended  to  meet  the 
increasing  demand  for  modern  textbooks  written  in  schol- 
arly spirit  but  popular  style  for  preparatory  and  high 
schools  and  for  advanced  groups  in  week-day  religious  in- 
struction in  local  parishes.  That  they  are  admirably  suited 
for  either  purpose  will  be  evident  from  an  examination  of 
any  one  of  the  volumes  in  the  series. 

The  Editors. 


A  WORD  FROM  THE  AUTHOR 

The  character  of  this  volume  is  to  be  understood  in 
the  light  of  its  purpose.  It  does  not  aim  to  include  every 
item  of  the  gospel  records.  It  does  not  try  to  give  all 
possible  knowledge  about  customs  and  places.  It  seeks 
to  utilize  assured  critical  results,  but  it  does  not  give 
critical  studies.  Though  interested  in  spiritual  values, 
its  purpose  is  not  that  of  a  devotional  handbook.  Nor  is 
its  chief  concern  the  attempt  to  arrange  all  the  gospel 
incidents  in  chronological  order. 

This  volume  is  one  of  a  series  of  biblical  studies  under 
the  general  title,  ''The  Development  of  the  Kingdom  of 
God."  Back  of  that  title  lies  the  conviction  that  history 
is  the  carrying  out  of  a  great  purpose  of  God.  Jesus  of 
Nazareth  has  been  the  greatest  creative  force  in  this  move- 
ment of  humanity.    It  is  this  place  which  he  holds  in  the 


10  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

life  and  faith  of  the  world  that  gives  the  supreme  reason 
for  our  study,  and  determines  the  questions  that  we  ask. 
Under  wliat  conditions  did  Jesus  begin  his  work?  What 
purpose  did  he  set  before  him?  How  did  he  plan  its 
achievement?  What  course  did  he  pursue?  What  was 
the  issue  of  his  life?    What  manner  of  man  was  he? 

Such  a  study  will  be  historical ;  it  must  see  Jesus  in  the 
movement  of  history  and  in  the  setting  of  his  day.  It 
must  be  vital,  looking  beneath  words  and  incidents  to 
deeper  meanings.  It  must  be  dynamic;  not  painting  a 
mediaeval  saint,  beautiful  but  lifeless  upon  his  background 
of  gold,  but  showing  us  that  Person  from  whom  the  potent 
forces  of  human  history  have  come. 

In  revising  these  studies  the  author  has  had  constantly 
in  mind  their  intended  wider  uses  and  value  for  advanced 
classes  in  preparatory  and  high  schools  and  the  first  year  in 
college,  where  there  has  been  an  increasing  demand  for  texts 
which,  while  scholarly  in  treatment  and  modern  in  stand- 
point, shall  be  simpler  and  briefer  than  most  books  now 
available.  A  companion  volume  is  being  issued  on  the 
teacliings  of  Jesus  by  the  same  author.  Constant  reference 
to  the  latter  will  greatly  aid  in  the  study  of  Jesus'  life.  The 
world  has  had  no  other  leader  in  whom  life  and  Word  are 
so  absolutely  one,  and  each  so  necessary  to  the  understand- 
ing of  the  other. 

Harris  Franklin  Rall. 


PALESTINE    IN    THE    TIME    OF    JESUS    (4  B.C.-30   A.D.) 

COPYRIGHT,   1906,    Br  CHARLES  FOSTER  KENT 


Suggestions  for  Study 

At  the  close  of  each  chapter  the  student  will  find  the  Direc- 
tions for  Study  for  that  chapter.  Look  at  these  before  begin- 
ning the  reading  of  any  chapter.  A  few  general  suggestions 
are  here  given. 

First,  gain  a  clear  idea  of  the  purpose  of  the  book.  It  is  not 
a  study  of  the  details  of  Jesus'  words  and  acts.  Rather  we  are 
looking  at  his  life  as  a  whole,  as  a  great  deed  for  the  advance- 
ment of  God's  kingdom.  We  are  studying  it  as  a  force  in  his- 
tory, as  the  greatest  force. 

Keeping  this  theme  in  mind,  as  you  begin  each  chapter 
note  first  how  it  belongs  to  the  movement  as  a  whole,  how  it 
is  connected  with  what  goes  before,  and  what  the  new  interest 
is  which  it  takes  up.  This  is  usually  suggested  in  the  opening 
paragraph,  which  should  have  careful  attention. 

Read  the  chapter  as  a  whole,  if  possible  at  one  sitting.  Do 
not  try  to  grasp  all  the  facts  at  once,  but  get  the  drift  of  the 
argument  and  the  outline  of  its  thought,  so  that  you  can  put 
it  into  a  few  words. 

Now  return  for  a  more  careful  study.  Give  especial  atten- 
tion to  the  Scripture  passages  that  are  assigned  in  the  Direc- 
tions for  Study  and  to  the  Bible  references  in  the  text.  Look 
all  these  up  and  read  them,  forming  your  own  judgment  upon 
the  subjects  discussed.  Remember  that  your  principal  study 
is  not  the  author  and  his  opinions,  but  the  Gospels  themselves. 

Consider  thoughtfully  the  questions  raised  in  the  Directions 
for  Study,  and  formulate  carefully  your  answers. 

Write,  and  write  constantly.  Keep  a  special  note-book  for 
this  study.  Write  out  the  answers  to  the  questions  indicated. 
Write  a  summary  of  the  thought  and  argument  of  each  chapter 
in  your  own  words.  Nothing  is  more  helpful  to  the  student 
than  constant  writing,  especially  if  he  be  studying  alone. 
Writing  compels  more  careful  and  thorough  study.  By  writing 
we  clarify  our  thought  and  test  our  knowledge;  we  find  out 
what  we  know  when  we  try  to  tell  it.  And  writing  fixes  in 
mind  what  we  are  studying. 

Apply.  Ask  yourself  constantly  what  this  all  means  for 
yourself  and  for  the  life  of  the  world  about  you.  It  will  not 
only  mean  profit  to  yourself,  but  give  life  and  zest  to  all  your 
study. 


12 


CHAPTER   I 
BETWEEN  THE  TESTAMENTS 

Jesus  and  the  Kingdom  of  God 

The  thought  of  the  kingdom  of  God  is  one  of  the  great- 
est ideas  that  has  ever  stirred  the  hearts  of  men.  Science 
tells  us  how  the  worlds  came  into  being,  and  how  the 
flaming  suns  shall  some  time  turn  cold.  History  records 
the  rise  and  fall  of  nations,  the  migrations  of  peoples 
and  their  endless  struggles.  But  when  we  ask  what  all 
this  means,  science  and  history  have  no  answer.  Nor  is 
that  answer  easy  to  find  elsewhere.  The  world  seems  a 
tangle  of  happenings,  a  ceaseless  strife  of  good  and  evil 
that  goes  nowhere  and  means  nothing. 

Long  years  ago  the  prophets  of  Israel  faced  this  same 
question  and  gave  their  answer.  They  saw  the  same  evil 
and  the  same  struggle,  but  they  declared  that  a  day  of 
Jehovah  was  coming,  a  day  in  which  the  evil  should  be 
overthrown  and  the  good  should  triumph.  Out  of  their 
vision  has  come  the  Christian  thought  of  the  kingdom  of 
God  upon  earth.  It  is  the  conviction  that  history  has  a 
meaning,  that  it  is  being  shaped  by  the  purpose  of  God. 
Slowly,  through  ages  of  ignorance  and  strife  that  are  not 
yet  past,  men  have  been  coming  to  see  God  and  to  know  his 
will.  Slowly  God  has  been  lifting  men  into  fellowship 
with  himself  and  by  his  Spirit  dwelling  in  the  world  has 
been  making  over  human  relations  and  institutions.  The 
final  goal  of  all  this  is  the  kingdom  of  God,  the  rule  of 
peace  and  righteousness  of  which  we  see  the  beginnings. 

We  are  to  study  the  life  of  Jesus  as  a  part  of  this  great 
world-movement  of  the  Kingdom.  We  are  to  ask  not 
simply  what  Jesus  did  and  what  he  said,  but  how  his  life 
counted  in  forwarding  this  movement.    All  this  makes  it 

13 


14  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

plain  that  we  cannot  study  the  life  of  Jesus  as  though  it 
stood  alone.  Unique  though  he  was,  Jesus  did  not  stand 
apart.  First,  he  belongs  to  the  past,  to  the  history  of  his 
own  people;  he  builds  upon  what  has  gone  before,  espe- 
cially on  the  prophets,  and  declares  that  all  this  is  ful- 
filled in  him.  Second,  he  belongs  to  the  world  of  his  own 
day,  the  world  of  Roman  law  and  Grecian  speech  and 
Jewish  life.  If  we  are  to  understand  the  life  of  Jesus, 
we  must  study  the  world  to  which  he  came  and  in  which 
he  did  his  work.  To  this  study  the  first  chapters  will  be 
given. 

The  Two  Centuries  Before  Christ 

Every  one  knows  that  it  is  necessary  to  study  the  Old 
Testament  in  order  to  understand  the  New,  but  few  realize 
how  important  it  is  to  study  the  period  between  the  Old 
and  the  New.  Turn  over  the  pages  of  the  Gospels  and  see 
the  picture  of  Jewisli  life  reflected  there.  Here  are  certain 
classes  and  parties  that  are  referred  to :  Pharisees,  scribes, 
Sadducees,  Zealots.  The  temple  is  still  here,  but  the  cen- 
ter is  now  the  synagogue.  We  find  a  strong  interest  in 
certain  religious  ideas:  heaven,  hell,  resurrection,  judg- 
ment, future  life,  demons,  angels.  Now  turn  back  to  the 
Old  Testament  and  search  for  these  names  and  ideas. 
They  are  almost  wholly  lacking.  The  period  between  the 
Old  and  New  Testaments  has  sometimes  been  called  the 
"four  centuries  of  silence.''  That  is  a  great  error.  This 
was  not  a  time  of  silence,  but  one  of  momentous  changes  in 
which  God  was  working  among  men  and  speaking  to  them. 
The  last  of  the  Old  Testament  writings  reach  down  to 
the  second  century  before  Christ  instead  of  the  fourth. 
Strictly  speaking,  indeed,  our  subject  should  be  "The  Two 
Centuries  Before  Christ." 

Our  Sources  of  Information. — There  are  a  number  of 
writings  from  which  we  may  learn  about  this  interesting 
period.  (1)  The  book  of  Daniel  gives  us  a  picture  of  the 
hopes  that  stirred  men's  hearts  at  this  time.  (2)  Outside 
the  Bible  we  turn  to  the  so-called  Jewish  Apocrypha,  espe- 
cially the  First  and  Second  Maccabees.     The  Apocrypha 


BETWEEN  THE  TESTAMENTS  15 

are  Jewish  writings  not  included  by  Protestants  in  the 
sacred  canon,  though  Luther's  Bible  and  the  Anglican 
Church  both  include  them  as  a  kind  of  appendix  to  the  Old 
Testament  to  be  read  '"for  example  of  life  and  instruction 
of  manners."  (3)  Besides  the  Apocrypha  we  have  certain 
other  Jewish  writings  known  as  Pseudepigrapha,  written 
in  the  time  from  200  B.  C.  to  100  A.  D.  These  writings 
are  mainly  apocalypses,  or  "revelations,"  picturing  the 
future  deliverance  which  Jehovah  is  to  bring.  (4)  Finally 
we  have  the  works  of  the  Jewish  historian,  Josephus. 

The  Stoey  of  the  Maccabees 

Hellenizing  the  East. — The  story  of  the  Maccabees  is  one 
of  the  most  thrilling  chapters  in  the  history  of  man's 
fight  for  freedom.  Nearly  350  years  before  Christ  Alexan- 
der of  Macedon  had  started  to  conquer  the  world.  But 
this  general  was  not  simply  interested  in  conquest  of 
arms.  He  wanted  Greek  culture  to  rule;  he  wanted  the 
people  of  the  East  to  receive  the  language  of  Greece,  its 
customs,  its  religion.  The  work  went  on  after  his  death, 
and  everywhere  with  success.  The  Jews  did  not  escape 
this  influence.  Those  that  were  scattered  abroad  naturally 
learned  the  Greek  tongue  and  the  Old  Testament  was 
translated  into  that  language.  Palestine  itself  felt  the 
movement.  But  it  was  not  simply  a  question  of  language ; 
it  was  a  question  whether  the  Jews  should  give  up  their 
ancient  faith  for  the  new  customs  and  ideas.  There  were 
not  a  few  who  were  ready  to  do  this,  and  they  included 
prominent  and  influential  people,  the  wealthy  and  aristo- 
cratic sections  with  many  of  the  priests.  To  these  men 
it  seemed  the  way  to  favor  with  the  ruling  powers,  the 
door  to  position  and  fortune. 

Palestine  was  at  this  time  under  Syria,  one  of  the 
divisions  into  which  Alexander's  empire  had  fallen,  and 
Antiochus  Epiphanes  had  just  come  to  Syria's  throne,  B. 
C.  175.  Energetic,  ambitious,  arrogant,  ruthless,  his 
great  ambition  was  to  Hellenize  his  whole  realm.  He 
found  a  ready  helper  in  the  high  priest  Jason,  a  renegade 


16  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

who  had  supplanted  his  own  brother,  the  pious  Onias,  by 
the  simple  means  of  offering  Antiochus  a  hundred  and 
fifty  thousand  dollars  for  this  office.  This  Jason  pushed 
the  work  of  Hellenizing.  ''He  eagerly  established  a  Greek 
place  of  exercise  under  the  citadel  itself;  and  caused  the 
noblest  of  the  young  men  to  wear  a  Greek  cap.  And 
thus  there  Avas  an  extreme  of  Greek  fashions,  and  an 
advance  of  an  alien  religion,  by  reason  of  the  exceeding 
profaneness  of  Jason,  that  ungodly  man  and  no  high 
priest;  so  that  the  priests  had  no  more  any  zeal  for  the 
service  of  the  altar:  but  despising  the  sanctuary,  and 
neglecting  the  sacrifices,  they  hastened  to  enjoy  that  which 
was  unlawfully  provided  in  the  palaestra,  after  the  sum- 
mons of  the  discus;  making  of  no  account  the  honors  of 
their  fathers,  and  thinking  the  glories  of  the  Greeks  best 
of  all.''     (3  Maccabees  4.  12-15.) 

The  Persecution  of  the  Jews. — For  centuries  the  leaders 
of  Israel  had  fought  to  preserve  her  faith  and  to  keep  it 
pure  from  the  contaminating  influences  of  the  lower  reli- 
gions around  about  her.  Now  it  seemed  as  though  that 
faith  was  to  be  lost  in  the  mixture  of  low  ideals  and 
superstitious  practices  which  were  soon  to  be  the  common 
life  of  the  Greek-Eoman  world.  Her  leaders,  the  priests, 
were  faithless.  The  king  was  using  every  influence  to 
bring  about  the  change.  Then  suddenly  the  tide  turned. 
Antiochus  himself  was  the  cause.  The  progress  had  been  too 
slow  and  so  he  began  to  use  force.  Jerusalem  was  seized 
in  the  year  168.  The  sacred  altar  was  torn  down  and  an 
altar  reared  to  Zeus,  upon  which  swine's  flesh  was  sacri- 
ficed, while  soldiers  and  harlots  filled  the  holy  place.  Then 
the  persecution  began.  There  was  to  be  no  observance  of 
the  Sabbath,  no  circumcision,  no  sacrifice  to  Jehovah,  nor 
might  any  one  have  in  his  home  a  copy  of  the  Law.  Those 
who  did  these  things  or  who  refused  to  sacrifice  to  the 
pagan  gods  were  to  be  put  to  death.  Many  fell  away,  but 
many  were  faithful.  The  hour  of  persecution  became  the 
hour  of  the  greatest  revival  that  Judaism  had  seen.  Men 
and  women  went  gladly  to  their  death  rather  than  prove 
false  to  their  faith.    Others  were  stirred  by  their  examples. 


BETWEEN  THE  TESTAMENTS  17 

The  story  of  these  martyrdoms  deserves  a  place  in  history 
beside  those  of  the  early  church  and  of  the  Christians 
of  Armenia  and  China  in  our  day. 

The  Maccabees. — At  first  there  was  no  resistance  and 
no  leadership.  A  thousand  were  slain  at  one  time  because 
they  would  not  fight  when  attacked  on  the  Sabbath.  Then 
came  forth  a  group  of  remarkable  leaders,  the  aged  priest 
Mattathias  and  his  five  sons.  One  of  these  sons,  Judas, 
proved  himself  a  general  of  highest  ability.  He  was  known 
as  Maccabeus,  "the  hammerer,'^  and  from  him  the  family 
took  its  name,  the  Maccabees.  With  astonishing  courage 
and  skill  they  fought  the  Syrian  armies,  stirring  their 
followers  with  the  summons  to  trust  in  the  God  who  had 
delivered  their  fathers.  In  three  years  the  worship  in  the 
temple  was  reestablished.  For  something  less  than  a  cen- 
tury Israel  regained  political  independence,  after  which 
she  became  subject  to  the  new  power  from  the  West,  the 
Eoman  empire.  But  she  had  saved  the  faith  of  the 
prophets  and  had  won  for  all  time  the  right  of  freedom 
of  worship  according  to  that  faith.  Persecutions  in  abun- 
dance the  Jews  have  suffered  since  then,  but  that  freedom 
they  have  never  lost. 

The  Book  of  Daniel 

Jewish  Apocalypses. — The  spirit  and  the  hope  that 
stirred  the  Jews  at  this  time  are  well  shown  to  us  by  the 
book  of  Daniel.  This  book  is  an  apocalypse,  a  form  of 
writing  which  was  very  common  in  the  last  two  centuries 
before  Christ  and  the  next  century  following.  The  Jewish 
apocalypses  all  have  the  same  general  method  of  giving 
their  message  through  visions  and  using  all  manner  of 
pictures  and  symbols.  They  were  written  in  times  of  op- 
pression and  distress.  Their  authors  were  men  of  piety 
and  faith.  Their  purpose  was  to  encourage  the  people 
by  showing  them  that,  despite  oppression,  God  was  still 
watching  over  his  own,  that  the  nations  were  all  in  God's 
hands,  whose  kingdom  at  its  fixed  time  would  surely  be 
established.     Feeling  that  they  were  writing  in  the  spirit 


18  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

of  the  great  men  of  the  past,  these  men  set  forth  their 
messages  under  such  names  as  those  of  Enoch,  Moses, 
Solomon,  and  Daniel. 

The  Message  of  Daniel. — The  book  of  Daniel,  probably 
written  within  a  few  years  after  the  desecration  of  the 
temple  and  before  the  worship  was  reestablished,  was  of 
great  influence  in  these  years;  its  faith  and  courage  and 
loyalty  to  Jehovah  represent  the  spirit  that  stirred  the 
Jews  to  such  heroic  deeds.  The  first  six  chapters  of  Daniel 
give  us  the  familiar  stories  which  have  charmed  us  and 
stirred  us  from  childhood  on.  The  second  half  is  made 
up  of  the  visions.  In  a  great  picture  the  author  sets  forth 
in  chapter  seven  under  the  form  of  four  beasts  the  four 
great  kingdoms  of  Babylonia,  Persia,  Media,  and  Greece. 
Then  at  last  God  comes  in  judgment,  "the  ancient  of 
days,"  bringing  in  the  last  kingdom,  which  is  given  to 
"one  like  unto  a  son  of  man."  "Son  of  man"  was  a  phrase 
used  later  as  a  name  for  the  Messiah;  here  it  seems  to 
refer  to  Israel,  as  indicated  by  verse  27 :  "And  the  kingdom 
and  the  dominion,  and  the  greatness  of  the  kingdoms 
under  the  whole  heaven,  shall  be  given  to  the  people  of 
the  saints  of  the  Most  High :  his  kingdom  is  an  everlasting 
kingdom,  and  all  dominions  shall  serve  and  obey  him." 
The  little  horn  of  chapter  eight  refers  to  Antiochus,  and 
chapter  11.  21-45  describes  the  reign  and  the  death  of  this 
king. 

The  Canon 

More  important  than  the  political  events,  though  closely 
connected  with  them,  were  the  changes  that  took  place 
in  the  religious  life  and  institutions  of  the  Jews.  Only 
one  of  these  can  be  taken  up  in  this  lesson,  and  that  is 
the  forming  of  the  canon.  By  the  canon  we  mean  the 
list  of  writings  declared  to  be  sacred,  for  the  Jews  the 
Old  Testament,  for  us  the  Old  Testament  and  the  New. 

The  Three  Books. — The  Jews  had  three  such  collections 
which  formed  their  canon,  and  these  were  not  all  placed 
upon  the  same  plane.  First  came  the  Law,  comprising 
the  first  five  books  of  the  Bible.    It  was  under  Nehemiah 


BETWEEN  THE  TESTAMENTS  19 

and  Ezra  that  this  was  solemnly  adopted  by  the  people. 
This  Book  of  the  Law  was  the  most  sacred  to  the  Jews, 
and  compared  by  them  to  the  Holy  of  holies.  Next  came 
the  Prophets,  which  they  compared  to  the  holy  place.  This 
collection  included  all  the  prophets  as  we  know  them 
excepting  Daniel,  together  with  the  earlier  historical  books, 
Joshua,  Judges,  Samuel,  and  Kings.  Though  these  books 
had  long  been  read  and  honored,  it  was  probably  not 
until  B.  C.  200  that  they  were  gathered  into  a  definite 
and  authoritative  collection.  The  last  collection,  con- 
taining all  the  other  books,  is  called  the  "Writings."  This 
was  compared  with  the  temple  court.  These  writings  were 
first  gathered  together  during  the  Maccabean  period  (about 
150).  In  trying  to  destroy  the  books  of  the  Law,  Antiochus 
simply  made  the  Jews  feel  the  value  of  their  sacred  writ- 
ings the  more,  and  so  they  began  collecting  these  other 
writings  which  were  not  already  gathered  together  in  the 
Law  or  the  Prophets.  This  work  was  not  finally  com- 
pleted until  long  after,  for  even  after  the  time  of  our 
Lord  the  Jewish  rabbis  disputed  whether  writings  like 
Ecclesiastes  and  the  Song  of  Solomon  should  be  included. 
These  three  collections  formed  the  Bible  of  Jesus,  as  they 
form  part  of  our  Bible  to-day,  and  for  their  preservation 
many  a  Jew  laid  down  his  life  in  the  dark  days  of 
Antiochus. 

Directions  fob  Study 

Read  carefully  the  selections  from  Maccabees  given  below 
and  Daniel  7.  If  time  permits,  look  through  the  book  of 
Daniel,  and  note  the  lessons  that  it  would  bring  to  the  Jews 
at  such  a  time.  The  Apocrypha  can  be  bought  in  the  Ameri- 
can Standard  Revision,  either  separately  or  bound  in  one 
volume  with  the  Bible.  2  Maccabees  5,  6,  and  7  give  a  graphic 
picture  of  persecutions  and  heroism.  The  more  sober  and 
connected  history  is  given  in  1  Maccabees.  Read  as  much  as 
you  can  of  these.  It  will  help  us  to  understand  the  people 
with  whom  Jesus  lived  and  worked,  if  we  realize  that  these 
writings  were  known  to  all  and  read  by  all. 

Good  maps  are  of  the  greatest  value  in  study.^    Each  class 


^Maps.  The  best  maps  available  are  a  revised  and  condensed  edition 
of  the  Historical  Maps  for  Bible  Students  (wall  maps),  edited  by  Pro- 
fessor  Charles    Kent,    Ph.D.,    of   Yale    University,    and    Albert    Alonzo 


20  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

should  have  a  set  of  maps  of  its  own.  Refer  to  these  or  to  the 
maps  which  may  be  in  your  own  Bible.  Look  at  a  map  of  the 
ancient  world.  Notice  how  small  Palestine  is,  yet  how  im- 
portant its  location.  Can  you  understand  why  these  great 
kingdoms  fought  for  it?  Note  where  the  armies  would  have 
to  march  from  Assyria  to  Egypt,  or  from  Macedonia  to  Egypt. 

Make  a  list  of  Jewish  names,  institutions,  and  ideas  which 
appear  in  the  New  Testament  and  are  lacking  in  the  Old. 

What  New  Testament  book  was  written,  like  Daniel,  to  give 
encouragement  in  a  period  of  persecution  by  picturing  the 
future  triumph  of  the  Kingdom? 

Name  some  other  wars  that  have  been  waged  for  liberty  of 
thought  and  faith  and  life.  How  does  the  Maccabean  struggle 
compare  with  them  in  importance  for  later  ages? 

The  Story  of  the  Maccabees 

In  those  days  came  there  forth  out  of  Israel  transgressors 
of  the  law,  and  persuaded  many,  saying.  Let  us  go  and  make  a 
covenant  with  the  Gentiles  that  are  round  about  us;  for  since 
we  were  parted  from  them  many  evils  have  befallen  us.  .  .  . 
And  they  built  a  place  of  exercise  in  Jerusalem  according  to 
the  laws  of  the  Gentiles;  and  they  made  themselves  uncircum- 
cised,  and  forsook  the  holy  covenant,  and  joined  themselves  to 
the  Gentiles,  and  sold  themselves  to  do  evil.  .  .  .  And  king 
Antiochus  wrote  to  his  whole  kingdom,  that  all  should  be  one 
people,  and  that  each  should  forsake  his  own  laws.  And  all  the 
nations  agreed  according  to  the  word  of  the  king;  and  many 
of  Israel  consented  to  his  worship,  and  sacrificed  to  the  idols, 
and  profaned  the  sabbath.  .  .  .  And  on  the  fifteenth  day  of 
Chislev,  in  the  hundred  and  forty  and  fifth  year,  they  builded 
an  abomination  of  desolation  upon  the  altar,  and  in  the  cities 
of  Judah  on  every  side  they  builded  idol  altars.  And  at  the 
doors  of  the  houses  and  in  the  streets  they  burned  incense. 
And  they  rent  in  pieces  the  books  of  the  law  which  they  found, 
and  set  them  on  fire.  And  wheresoever  was  found  with  any 
a  book  of  the  covenant,  and  if  any  consented  to  the  law,  the 
king's  sentence  delivered  him  to  death.  .  .  .  And  on  the  five 
and  twentieth  day  of  the  month  they  sacrificed  upon  the  idol 


Madsen,  Pb.D.  Seven  maps.  Price,  complete,  $5,  prepaid.  Tlie  Meth- 
odist Boolj  Concern.  1.  The  Sinaitic  Peninsula  witli  Palestine  to  the 
north,  and  a  portion  of  the  Nile  and  its  delta  to  the  southwest.  2. 
Palestine  during  the  period  when  the  Israelites  were  finding  permanent 
homes  in  eastern  and  western  Palestine.  3.  Palestine  during  the  time 
of  the  united  Hebrew  kingdom.  4.  Palestine  after  the  exile  and  during 
the  days  of  the  restored  Jewish  community  and  of  the  later  Maccabean 
kingdom.  .").  Palestine  in  the  time  of  Christ.  6.  Roman  empire  during 
the  first  Christian  century  and  all  the  important  provinces  that  figure 
la  early  church  history.  7.  The  lands  of  the  civilized  world,  including 
the  valleys  of  the  Tigris  and  Euphrates,  the  Syrian  coast,  and  a  por- 
tion of  the  Nile  valley. 


BETWEEX  THE  TESTAMENTS  21 

altar,  which  was  upon  the  altar  of  God.  And  the  women  that  had 
circumcised  their  children  they  put  to  death  according  to  the 
commandment.  And  they  hanged  their  babies  about  their 
necks,  and  destroyed  their  houses,  and  them  that  had  cir- 
cumcised them  (1  Maccabees  1.  11,  14,  15,  41-43,  54-57,  59-61). 

In  those  days  rose  up  Mattathias  the  son  of  John,  the  son  of 
Simeon,  a  priest  of  the  sons  of  Joarib,  from  Jerusalem,  and  he 
dwelt  at  Modin.  And  he  had  five  sons,  John,  who  was  sur- 
named  Gaddis;  Simon,  who  was  called  Thassi;  Judas,  who  was 
called  Maccabaeus;  Eleazar,  who  was  called  Avaran;  Jonathan, 
who  was  called  Apphus.  .  .  .  Then  were  gathered  together 
unto  them  a  company  of  Hasidseans,  mighty  men  of  Israel, 
every  one  that  offered  himself  willingly  for  the  law.  And  all 
they  that  fled  from  the  evils  were  added  to  them,  and  became 
a  stay  unto  them.  And  they  mustered  a  host,  and  smote  sin- 
ners in  their  anger,  and  lawless  men  in  their  wrath:  and  the 
rest  fled  to  the  Gentiles  for  safety.  And  Mattathias  and  his 
friends  went  round  about,  and  pulled  down  the  altars;  and 
they  circumcised  by  force  the  children  that  were  uncircum- 
cised,  as  many  as  they  found  in  the  coasts  of  Israel  (1  Mac- 
cabees 2.  1-5,  42-46). 

Eleazar,  one  of  the  principal  scribes,  a  man  already  well 
stricken  in  years,  and  of  a  noble  countenance,  was  compelled 
to  open  his  mouth  to  eat  swine's  flesh.  But  he,  welcoming 
death  with  renown  rather  than  life  with  pollution,  advanced 
of  his  own  accord  to  the  instrument  of  torture.  ,  .  .  But 
they  that  had  the  charge  of  that  forbidden  sacrificial  feast 
took  the  man  aside,  for  the  acquaintance  which  of  old  times 
they  had  with  him,  and  privately  besought  him  to  bring  flesh 
of  his  own  providing,  such  as  was  befitting  for  him  to  use, 
and  to  make  as  if  he  did  eat  of  the  flesh  from  the  sacrifice,  as 
had  been  commanded  by  the  king.  ...  It  becometh  not  our 
years  to  dissemble,  said  he,  that  through  this  many  of  the 
young  should  suppose  that  Eleazar,  the  man  of  fourscore  years 
and  ten,  had  gone  over  unto  an  alien  religion;  and  so  they, 
by  reason  of  my  dissimulation,  and  for  the  sake  of  this  brief 
and  momentary  life,  should  be  led  astray  because  of  me,  and 
thus  I  get  to  myself  a  pollution  and  a  stain  of  mine  old  age. 
...  By  manfully  parting  with  my  life  now,  I  will  show 
myself  worthy  of  mine  old  age,  and  leave  behind  a  noble 
ensample  to  the  young  to  die  willingly  and  nobly  a  glorious 
death  for  the  reverend  and  holy  laws  (2  Maccabees  6.  18,  19, 
21,  24,  25,  27,  28). 


CHAPTEK  II 

THE  LAW  AND  THE  HOPE 

What  religion  did  the  Jews  have  in  Jesus'  day?  We 
know  that  their  Bible  was  the  Old  Testament,  but  that 
does  not  answer  our  question.  A  man's  religion  usually 
consists  of  three  elements :  what  he  believes,  what  he  does, 
and  what  he  hopes  for.  What  Israel  believed  will  be  spoken 
of  in  the  next  chapter;  here  we  consider  the  other  two 
parts  of  her  religion.  Some  one  has  said  that  Israel's 
religion  was  not  like  a  circle  with  its  center,  but  like  an 
ellipse  with  its  two  foci.  These  two  foci,  around  which 
the  everyday  life  of  the  pious  Jew  moved,  were  the  Law 
and  the  hope,  and  this  everyday  religion  of  the  Jew  we 
must  now  study  in  order  that  we  may  better  understand 
Jesus'  work  and  teaching. 

How  Israel  Became  a  People  of  the  Law 

The  Change. — The  religion  of  the  Jews  in  Jesus'  day 
was  a  religion  of  the  Law.  The  great  concern  was  not  the 
temple  and  its  sacrifices,  not  the  reading  of  words  like 
those  of  the  prophets,  nor  the  service  of  men  in  the  name 
of  God;  it  was  the  keeping  of  a  set  of  numberless  rules 
which  covered  every  part  and  every  hour  of  a  man's  life. 
How  different  this  situation  from  any  Old  Testament 
period  a  little  consideration  will  show.  In  the  Old  Testa- 
ment we  see  the  priest  or  prophet  as  leader;  here  it  is  the 
scribe,  the  teacher  of  the  Law.  There  the  temple  or  shrine 
was  the  religious  center;  here  it  is  the  synagogue.  How 
did  this  come  about? 

How  the  Change  Came. — First  of  all,  we  must  note  that 
it  was  the  result  of  the  work  of  earnest  and  devout  men 
whose  principal  aim  was  to  preserve  the  religion  of  Israel 
from  the  defilement  of  her  pagan  neighbors,  as  well  as  to 

22 


THE  LAW  AND  THE  HOPE  23 

regulate  more  carefully  the  life  of  the  people.  So,  for 
example,  the  keeping  of  the  Sabbath  was  especially  empha- 
sized as  a  mark  of  separation  from  her  neighbors  when 
Israel  was  exposed  to  danger  in  the  period  of  the  exile 
and  the  return  (Isa.  58.  13,  14;  Neh.  13.  15-32).  Cir- 
cumcision was  a  mark  especially  emphasized,  as  were  also 
the  laws  of  ceremonial  purity  with  particular  reference  to 
food  (see  Dan.  1).  But  the  fight  under  the  Maccabees 
put  the  seal  upon  this  work.  Here  the  Jewish  religion 
faced  perhaps  the  greatest  peril  that  ever  threatened  it. 
Grecian  thought  and  customs  were  the  vogue.  All  other 
peoples  were  surrendering  to  this  Hellenistic  influence, 
and  the  very  leaders  of  the  Jews,  the  strong  priestly  party, 
were  favorable  to  it.  The  stricter  Jews  seemed  helpless 
at  first;  then  they  awoke.  The  Maccabees  were  their 
political  leaders,  but  they  had  spiritual  leaders,  too.  These 
were  the  students  and  teachers  of  the  law  whom  we  know 
in  the  New  Testament  as  the  scribes.  They  felt  that  the 
Law  alone  could  save  Israel  from  Grecian  luxury,  im- 
morality, and  superstition.  They  won  their  fight  and 
Israel  was  committed  to  the  strict  observance  of  the 
Law. 

Training  in  the  Law. — There  had  been  reforms  and 
revivals  in  Israel  before  this  time,  but  the  people  had  back- 
slidden; the  scribes  now  set  to  work  to  make  sure  their 
victory.  Israel  must  be  made  through  and  through  a  peo- 
ple of  the  Law.  We  are  awakening  to-day  to  the  need  of 
religious  education,  but  these  scribes  saw  that  need  over 
two  thousand  years  ago.  They  did  not  rely  upon  the  en- 
thusiasm of  this  revival ;  they  set  two  goals  for  themselves. 
The  first  goal  was  to  train  all  Israel  in  the  Law.  They 
established  the  first  national  system  of  education  for  all 
the  people.  The  center  of  the  people's  religious  life  now 
became  the  synagogue.  In  Jesus'  day  the  synagogue  was 
found  in  every  village  of  Palestine  and  wherever  else  the 
Jews  settled.  While  it  had  a  religious  service,  it  was  more 
of  a  school  than  a  church;  the  reading  and  teaching  of 
the  Law  was  central.  With  the  synagogue  there  was  usu- 
ally the  school  where  the  children  were  taught ;  and  whether 


24  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

the  children  read  or  listened  or  wrote,  the  one  subject 
was  the  Law.  This  fact  helps  us  to  understand  the  say- 
ing of  Josephus,  that  a  Jew  could  more  easily  answer  a 
question  as  to  the  Law  than  give  his  own  name. 

The  Traditions  of  the  Elders. — TJie  second  goal  set  by 
the  scribes  was  to  extend  the  Law  so  that  it  would  cover 
the  whole  life  of  the  people.  The  Law  said,  for  example, 
that  men  were  not  to  work  on  the  Sabbath;  but  this  must 
be  applied  to  all  possible  circumstances.  As  a  result  we 
have  that  enormous  mass  of  rules  which  the  New  Testa- 
ment calls  "the  traditions  of  the  elders."  No  one  could 
know  them  who  had  not  given  his  life  to  their  study,  and 
this  the  scribes  did.  They  were  not  written  down  but 
were  committed  to  memory.  It  was  one  of  the  chief  duties 
of  the  scribes  to  gather  pupils,  whom  they  taught  these 
traditions.  These  disciples  of  the  rabbis  were  not  to  think 
for  themselves;  they  were  not  even  to  study  the  Scriptures 
for  themselves.  They  were  simply  to  learn  and  repeat. 
The  model  pupil,  so  the  saying  ran,  was  like  a  well- 
cemented  cistern,  losing  no  drop  of  what  it  received,  and 
letting  nothing  else  leak  in. 

The  Eeligion  of  the  Law 

In  Daily  Life. — Such  a  development  led  necessarily  to 
the  trivial  and  external.  Men  tithed  mint  and  anise  and 
cummin,  garden  herbs  that  had  no  value,  and  forgot  "jus- 
tice and  mercy  and  faith."  There  were  thirty-nine  kinds 
of  work  which  were  forbidden  on  the  Sabbath,  with  many 
divisions  under  each.  They  discussed  the  question  whether 
a  man  might  eat  an  egg  laid  upon  the  Sabbath.  It  was  a 
serious  matter  for  the  tailor  to  forget  to  remove  the  needle 
that  he  had  stuck  in  his  robe,  for  then  he  would  be  likely 
to  carry  it  on  the  Sabbath,  and  to  carry  your  tools  on  the 
Sabbath  was  breaking  the  law.  So  Jesus'  disciples  were 
condemned  for  rubbing  out  the  grain  from  the  ears  of 
wheat  which  they  plucked,  since  this  was  threshing  on  the 
Sabbath.  One  of  the  prohibited  labors  was  writing.  To 
.write  one  letter  was  permitted;  to  write  two  was  a  sin. 


THE  LAW  AND  THE  HOPE  25 

But  to  scratch  one  letter  on  the  wall  and  another  on  the 
earth  was  not  a  sin,  provided  they  could  not  be  read  to- 
gether. And  this  mass  of  rules  and  traditions  became  the 
real  authority  for  the  people,  taking  the  place  of  the  Scrip- 
tures themselves,  just  as  the  devout  Roman  Catholic  to- 
day goes  for  final  authority,  not  to  the  Bible,  but  to  the 
teaching  of  the  church  about  the  Bible. 

Its  Consequences. — Some  results  of  such  a  religion  are 
apparent.  The  little  and  the  great  were  all  put  upon  the 
same  plane;  they  were  all  so  many  things  to  be  done.  It 
tended  to  make  religion  formal,  turning  men  away  from 
the  inner  spirit  to  outward  rules  and  deeds.  It  gave  a 
wrong  conception  of  God  and  of  man's  relation  to  him. 
God  was  not  the  Father  near  at  hand,  with  whom  men 
might  walk  in  humble  love  and  trust.  He  was  the  Ruler 
and  the  Judge.  He  gave  to  men  not  himself,  but  his  com- 
mandments. The  business  of  men  was  to  keep  these  rules 
and  at  the  end  of  this  keeping  there  was  to  be  the  reward. 
No  wonder  that  the  message  of  Jesus  was  the  light  of  an- 
other day  to  many  discouraged  souls. 

Its  Effect  upon  Men. — More  important,  however,  is  the 
question  as  to  the  effect  that  it  produced  upon  the  lives 
of  men.  The  final  test  of  a  religion  is  the  way  it  works. 
When  we  compare  Jewish  life  of  this  time  with  that  of 
other  peoples,  we  are  struck  with  its  superiority.  These 
men  were  deeply  in  earnest.  Men  like  Paul  were  sparing 
no  effort  to  keep  the  Law.  Contrasted  with  life  at  Antioch 
or  Corinth,  we  see  the  moral  earnestness,  the  absence  of 
the  sensual  and  profligate,  in  the  Jews  of  Palestine.  In 
the  light  of  the  message  that  Jesus  brought,  however,  we 
note  the  deep  defects  of  the  religion  of  the  Law.  The  first 
of  these  was  that  of  pride  and  self-sufficiency.  "God,  I 
thank  thee  that  I  am  not  as  the  rest  of  men,"  prayed  the 
Pharisee  (Luke  18.  11).  It  was  this  spirit  that  shut  the 
hearts  of  the  Pharisees  to  Jesus'  message.  The  second 
defect  is  the  spirit  of  uncertainty  and  fear  that  often  lay 
beneath  this  very  self-assurance.  The  man  who  must  trust 
in  what  he  himself  does  will  always  be  haunted  by  the 
dread  that  in  the  end  he  has  not  done  enough.    In  sharp- 


26  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

est  contrast  were  the  joy  and  confidence  of  the  early  Chris- 
tians to  whom  God  was  the  Father  of  mercy  and  not  the 
stern  Judge.  In  the  third  place,  as  we  see  from  the  seventh 
chapter  of  Eomans,  the  law  brought  commandments,  but 
gave  no  power  to  keep  them.  It  left  large  numbers  of  peo- 
ple discouraged  and  hopeless.  These  were  the  "sinners," 
of  whom  we  read  in  the  Gospels.  They  were  not  neces- 
sarily immoral  people,  but  they  had  given  up  the  task  of 
keeping  this  whole  system  of  rules.  These  were  the  weary 
and  heavy-laden,  scorned  by  the  Pharisees  who  condemned 
Jesus  so  bitterly  for  associating  with  them. 

Pharisees  and  Sadducees. — The  Pharisees  were  the  party 
of  the  strict  observers  of  the  Law.  We  find  the  first  trace 
of  them  in  the  Chasidim,  or  "pious,"  of  the  Maccabean 
period.  Though  their  opponents,  the  Sadducees,  held  the 
priestly  places  and  the  control  of  the  temple,  yet  the 
Pharisees,  with  the  scribes  who  belonged  to  them,  were  the 
real  leaders.  There  were  not  many  of  them ;  Josephus  says 
about  six  thousand.  The  Sadducees  also  take  us  back  to 
the  time  of  Antiochus.  They  were  the  successors  of  the 
liberal  party  that  favored  the  Greeks  at  that  time.  In 
numbers  they  were  still  smaller  than  the  Pharisees,  but 
the  hereditary  priesthood  largely  belonged  to  them,  with 
its  prestige  and  political  power  and  immense  resources 
from  temple  tax  and  offerings.  They  rejected  the  tradi- 
tions of  the  Pharisees  and  held  simply  to  the  laws  of 
Moses.  They  rejected  the  Pharisaic  teachings  as  to  the 
resurrection,  which  was  the  "new  theology"  of  the  day, 
not  being  contained  in  the  older  books  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment. The  real  difference,  however,  was  simply  that 
between  religion  and  worldliness.  Though  faulty,  the 
Pharisees  were  the  party  of  zeal  and  religious  earnestness; 
the  Sadducees  were  simply  the  little  circle  of  the  rich  and 
worldly-minded.  After  the  destruction  of  the  temple  they 
disappeared  entirely  from  view. 

The  Hope 
The  Messianic  Hope. — No  religion  can  exist  simply  as 


THE  LAW  AND  THE  HOPE  27 

a  commandment ;  it  must  bring  its  promise  also.  The  Law- 
determined  the  activity  of  the  pious  Jew,  but  the  spring 
of  his  religion  lay  in  its  hope.  We  usually  call  this  the 
Messianic  hope.  It  would  be  more  correct  to  call  it  the 
Kingdom  hope.  The  hope  itself  was  held  in  many  forms. 
The  idea  of  the  Messiah  was  not  always  prominent;  some- 
times it  was  even  lacking.  But  one  idea  was  always  pres- 
ent: there  is  evil  in  the  world  now,  but  some  time  there 
will  be  only  the  rule  of  God;  the  kingdom  of  God  is  com- 
ing. There  are  two  general  forms  which  this  hope  takes. 
The  first  is  that  of  a  kingdom  upon  this  earth,  a  political 
kingdom.  Israel  was  the  people  of  Jehovah,  and  Jehovah 
was  the  ruler  of  the  earth;  yet  Israel  was  subject  to  the 
nations.  That  fact  formed  a  hard  problem  for  the  faith 
of  Israel,  and  she  answered :  ''This  is  for  the  present ;  soon 
Jehovah  will  overthrow  his  enemies  and  show  himself  as 
the  ruler  of  the  nations."  In  all  this  it  was  a  kingdom 
on  earth  for  which  men  looked,  and  this  triumph  of 
Jehovah  always  meant  to  them  the  rule  of  Israel.  In 
later  years  there  was  joined  to  this  the  idea  of  the  re- 
building of  the  temple  and  the  gathering  of  the  scattered 
members  of  Israel  from  all  lands. 

Its  Dangers. — It  was  this  hope  that  kept  alive  the  faith 
of  Israel  in  the  long  years  of  oppression.  But  such  a 
hope  was  full  of  danger  also.  In  the  minds  of  the  people 
it  tended  to  be  political  and  external,  rather  than  moral 
and  spiritual ;  they  thought  of  Israel's  triumph  rather  than 
the  rule  of  righteousness.  It  was  narrow  and  national; 
when  they  thought  of  other  peoples,  it  was  as  those  over 
whom  Israel  should  be  victor  and  who  should  bring  tribute 
to  Jerusalem.  The  prophets  denounced  this  selfish  hope. 
Amos  declared  that  the  day  of  Jehovah  should  be  dark- 
ness, and  not  light  (Amos  5.  18).  The  book  of  Jonah 
is  a  wonderful  protest  against  this  narrow  spirit.  Yet 
this  spirit  ruled  in  Jesus'  day;  his  teaching  was  one  long 
effort  to  substitute  another  ideal.  The  fierce  advocates  of 
this  conception  were  the  Zealots  from  his  own  land  of 
Galilee.  These  at  length  carried  away  with  them  the  peo- 
ple that  had  rejected  Jesus'  message,  raising  the  banner 


28  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

of  revolt  against  Eome,  and  bringing  in  the  awful  days 
of  famine  and  burning  and  slaughter  in  which  Jerusalem 
was  destroyed  in  the  year  70. 

The  Apocalyptic  Hope. — In  its  second  form  we  know 
tliis  kingdom  hope  as  the  apocalyptic  hope.  In  the  last 
few  centuries  before  Christ  certain  interesting  changes 
took  place.  These  appear  in  a  class  of  writings  which  we 
call  apocalypses,  of  which  the  book  of  Daniel  is  the  first. 
As  the  years  passed  there  seemed  to  be  less  and  less  chance 
for  establishing  an  earthly  kingdom  over  against  Israel's 
mighty  foes ;  and  so  men  looked  forward  to  another  age  with 
a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth.  The  problem  of  the  in- 
dividual helped  to  advance  the  same  ideas.  The  idea  of  the 
resurrection  is  found  at  most  in  two  or  three  places  in  the 
late  books  of  the  Old  Testament.  The  people  had  been 
content  with  the  idea  of  a  future  for  the  nation.  Now 
men  began  to  ask  about  the  individual.  What  should  be- 
come of  him?  The  ideas  of  immortality  and  resurrection 
began  to  come  in,  and  the  thought  of  individual  judgment 
and  reward.  And  so  they  thought  of  a  new  age  that  was 
to  bring  a  general  resurrection  from  the  dead,  the  judg- 
ment upon  every  individual,  and  the  reward  of  heaven 
and  hell. 

The  Intermediate  Kingdom. — These  ideas  existed  side 
by  side  and  often  in  great  confusion:  the  Messianic  hope 
of  an  earthly  kingdom  and  the  apocalyptic  hope  of  a  new 
age  ^vith  its  heaven  and  hell.  In  the  effort  to  bring  in 
some  order  there  came  the  idea  of  an  intermediate  king- 
dom which  has  influenced  many  people  since  that  day. 
Men  simply  joined  the  two  forms  of  hope  together.  First 
there  was  to  come  an  earthly  reign  of  the  Messiah,  such 
as  the  Jews  had  always  expected.  In  this  reign  the  saints 
were  to  be  raised  and  the  oppressors  overthrown,  but  the 
Kingdom  still  belonged  to  this  age  and  the  spiritual  forces 
of  evil  were  not  yet  destroyed.  After  this  was  to  come  the 
general  resurrection  and  the  final  judgment,  and  the  new 
earth  with  heaven  and  hell.  How  long  this  intermediate 
kingdom  was  to  last  was  variously  determined  by  the 
rabbis:  forty,  four  hundred,  one  thousand,  and  two  thou- 


THE  LAW  AND  THE  HOPE  29 

sand  years  were  suggested.  The  period  of  a  thousand  years 
was  finally  accepted,  and  so  this  teaching  is  known  as 
millennialism  or  chiliasm  from  the  Latin  and  Greek  words 
for  one  thousand. 

Directions  fob  Study 

Before  reading  this  chapter  recall  the  story  of  Chapter  I. 
Remember  that  Israel's  great  passion  was  her  religion,  as 
philosophy  and  art  and  letters  had  been  that  of  Greece,  and 
political  rule  that  of  Rome.  Review  the  story  of  the  Mac- 
cabees and  try  to  fix  the  main  points  in  mind.  Try  to  realize 
how  the  Jews  of  Jesus'  day  read  this  story  and  how  it  deepened 
their  zeal. 

Read  all  of  Psalm  119  and  note  the  delight  in  the  law  that 
is  here  reflected.  This  psalm  was  probably  written  at  a  late 
period,  but  in  any  case  it  reflects  the  common  attitude  of  the 
Jewish  people  at  its  best,  their  pride  in  the  law  and  their 
devotion  to  it. 

Read  Matthew  15.  1-20  and  note  Jesus'  criticism  of  the 
religion  of  legalism  as  exemplified  by  the  scribes  and  Phari- 
sees. He  declares  that  by  their  traditions  and  rules  they 
defeat  the  law  of  God.  He  points  out  the  externalism  of  this 
religion,  which  is  busy  with  outward  things  and  misses  the 
real  evils. 

In  Luke  1  and  2  read  the  songs  of  Mary  and  Zacharias. 
What  is  the  hope  that  is  here  expressed  for  Israel?  Note  that 
these  represent  the  simple  piety  of  the  purest  souls  among 
the  Jews,  belonging  neither  to  Pharisees,  Sadducees,  nor 
Zealots. 


CHAPTEE   III 

FOUNDATIONS  FOR  THE  KINGDOM  IN  JESUS' 

DAY 

It  was  one  of  the  grave  faults  of  Judaism  that  it  could 
see  nothing  outside  of  itself.  To  the  Jews  it  seemed  that 
God  had  spoken  only  to  Israel,  and  that  his  plans  were 
for  Israel  alone.  Long  ago  the  prophet  had  written  of 
a  coming  better  day:  "In  that  day  shall  Israel  be  a  third 
with  Egypt  and  with  Assyria,  a  blessing  in  the  midst  of 
the  earth;  for  that  Jehovah  of  hosts  hath  blessed  them 
saying,  Blessed  be  Egypt  my  people,  and  Assyria  the  work 
of  my  hands,  and  Israel  mine  inheritance''  (Isa.  19.  24, 
25).  Paul  knew  that  besides  the  Jewish  law  there  was  a 
law  that  God  had  written  in  the  hearts  even  of  Gentiles; 
that  he  was  the  God  who  had  not  left  himself  without  a 
witness,  the  one  in  whom  all  men  lived  and  moved  and  had 
their  being.  To-day  we  see  clearly  that  God  not  only  spoke 
through  the  prophets  and  used  the  people  of  Israel,  but 
that  he  was  carrying  out  his  plans  of  the  Kingdom  for 
other  peoples  and  through  them. 

The  Preparation. — As  we  come,  then,  to  the  supreme 
event  in  God's  plan,  the  coming  of  Christ,  we  need  to  ask. 
How  was  the  world  prepared  for  this  new  epoch?  The 
early  Christians  declared  that  Jesus  came  when  the  time 
was  fulfilled  (Mark  1.  15;  Gal.  4.  4).  In  what  sense  was 
this  true  ?  What  foundations  had  been  laid  ?  What  forces 
of  the  Kingdom  were  there  present,  not  simply  with  the 
Jews,  but  with  other  peoples?  A  brief  answer  to  these 
questions  can  best  be  given  under  the  names  of  the  three 
great  civilizations  of  the  world  in  that  day,  the  Roman, 
the  Grecian,  and  the  Jewish.  There  was  not  one  world 
in  that  day,  but  three :  the  political  world  in  which  Rome 

30 


FOUNDATIONS  FOE  THE  KINGDOM         31 

was  supreme,  the  world  of  culture  and  philosophy  in  which 
Greece  ruled,  the  world  of  faith  in  which  the  Jews  stood 
first.  Each  of  these  worlds  had  its  rich  gift  for  this  new 
day  of  the  Kingdom. 

Rome 

Rome  and  Jesus. — It  was  a  Roman  world  in  which  Jesus 
was  born.  The  Jews,  like  all  other  nations  around  the 
Mediterranean,  were  under  her  rule.  Their  high  priest 
and  their  senate,  or  Sanhedrin,  had  large  powers  of  local 
government,  but  the  Roman  procurator  was  supreme ;  Rome 
gathered  the  taxes,  Roman  soldiers  held  the  land.  From 
the  hills  that  overlooked  his  boyhood  home  Jesus  must 
often  have  seen  the  marching  legions.  It  was  a  Roman 
order  concerning  a  census  that  brought  it  about  that  he 
should  be  born  at  Bethlehem,  it  was  a  Roman  ruler  that 
sentenced  him  to  death,  and  Roman  soldiers  nailed  him 
to  the  cross. 

Rome  and  World-Unity. — Rome  laid  upon  the  peoples 
an  iron  hand.  She  did  not  interfere  with  local  customs, 
but  she  demanded  full  measure  in  taxes.  While  treasures 
flowed  to  Rome,  the  poor  in  these  lands  suifered  deeply. 
The  Gospel  pages  show  us  plenty  of  wretched  folks :  the 
sick  and  maimed  and  blind,  the  slaves,  the  poor  waiting 
for  work  in  the  market  place,  the  beggars  by  the  wayside 
or  lying  at  the  door  of  the  rich.  Yet  Rome  brought  her 
gifts  and  the  first  of  them  was  world-unity.  She  finished 
the  work  that  Alexander  had  begun,  she  made  one  world 
of  all  the  nations  of  the  west.  She  broke  down- century- 
old  barriers,  she  opened  wide  doors  so  that  the  life  and 
thought  of  all  the  peoples  might  mingle  around  that  great 
inland  sea.  The  Jewish  vision  of  the  Kingdom  was 
national  and  limited;  Rome  helped  to  give  a  world-vision 
to  the  leaders  of  the  new  faith.  It  is  significant  that  the 
outstanding  leader  who  stood  for  this  world-view  of  the 
new  kingdom  was  himself  a  free-born  Roman  citizen  and 
proud  of  the  distinction.  Paul's  Roman  citizenship  helped 
him  to  his  imperial  view  of  Christianity. 

Rome  and  World-Peace. — The  second  gift  of  Rome  was 


39  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

that  of  world-peace.  She  had  brushed  aside  the  hostile 
boundaries  that  separated  one  nation  from  another.  Her 
roads  ran  everywhere.  Built  for  her  legions,  they  served 
for  the  messengers  of  a  new  and  higher  kingdom.  Under 
Pompey  her  galleys  had  cleared  the  Mediterranean  of 
pirates,  and  this  highway  too  was  free  for  the  busy  vessels 
of  all  lands.  She  thus  brought  in  a  new  day  of  traffic 
and  travel,  and  the  ways  by  sea  and  land  were  filled  with 
soldiers  and  merchants,  students  and  laborers,  pilgrims 
and  pleasure-seekers.  And  it  was  men  like  these,  laymen 
whose  business  or  search  for  work  carried  them  from  land 
to  land,  that  did  even  more  than  the  little  group  of  apostles 
in  sj^reading  the  new  faith  and  life.  We  can  hardly 
imagine  the  extension  of  Christianity  throughout  the  em- 
pire in  so  brief  a  time  without  this  gift  of  Eome. 

Geeece 

The  Highways  of  the  Mind. — If  Eome  opened  the  roads 
on  land  and  sea,  Greece  built  the  highways  for  the  human 
mind;  and  one  was  as  important  as  the  other.  Alexander 
had  carried  Greek  language  and  culture  everywhere.  Eome 
conquered  Greece  and  then  went  to  school  to  her.  Greek 
became  the  universal  language  of  the  empire.  Jesus  prob- 
ably knew  it,  although  he  seems  to  have  preferred  his 
native  Aramaic.  How  much  all  this  meant  for  early 
Christianity  we  can  hardly  estimate.  The  modern  mis- 
sionary must  struggle  long  with  a  strange  tongue  before  he 
can  begin  his  work.  Even  then  he  is  limited  to  one  land, 
and  in  India  or  Africa  to  one  province.  Paul  moved 
through  Syria,  Cilicia,  Asia,  Macedonia,  Achaia,  Italy, 
and  with  his  Grecian  speech  men  understood  him  every- 
where. He  sat  down  to  write  to  Christians  in  rude 
Galatia,  or  Grecian  Corinth,  or  distant  Eome.  In  every 
case  he  used  the  same  language  and  knew  that  these  men, 
whose  native  tongue  was  Galatian  or  Greek,  Latin  or 
Aramaic,  would  understand  his  words.  Our  New  Testa- 
ment is  a  Greek  book.  Outside  of  Palestine,  the  Old  Testa- 
ment which  the  Jews  used  in  their  synagogue  worship  was 


FOUNDATIONS  FOE  THE  KINGDOM         33 

a  Greek  translation.  Many  years  before  a  great  prophet 
had  written:  "Prepare  ye  in  the  wilderness  the  way  of 
Jehovah ;  make  level  in  the  desert  a  highway  for  our  God" 
(Isa.  40.  3).  The  peaceful  roads  of  Eome  and  the  common 
speech  of  Greece  were  the  great  fulfillment  of  this  word. 

Influence  of  Grecian  Thought. — But  a  language  is  never 
an  empty  vessel;  it  carries  its  freight  of  ideas  wherever 
it  goes.  With  the  Grecian  speech  went  Grecian  thought. 
There  had  been  many  noble  spirits  among  the  Greek 
thinkers.  They  had  stood  for  the  spiritual  against  the 
material,  for  the  soul  of  man  and  its  worth.  They  had 
fought  against  the  superstitions  of  their  own  land;  they 
had  argued  or  laughed  out  of  court  the  old  polytheism. 
Greece  helped  prepare  the  world  for  the  doctrine  of  the 
one  God  as  for  that  of  immortality.  When  Paul  speaks 
of  conscience,  it  is  a  Greek  word  that  he  uses,  not  Hebrew. 
He  quotes  to  the  men  at  Athens  one  of  their  own  poets, 
and  finds  in  other  thoughts  a  common  standing-ground 
with  them  (Acts  17.  22-31).  We  can  understand  how 
early  Christian  writers  like  Clement  of  Alexandria  de- 
clared that  these  philosophers  brought  the  Grecians  to 
Christ  as  the  Law  did  the  Jews.  "There  is  but  one  way  of 
truth,''  Clement  adds,  "but  into  it  there  empty  many 
streams  from  many  sides,  as  into  a  flowing  river." 

The  Jews 

The  Gift  of  Israel. — As  we  study  the  Jewish  religion  at 
the  time  of  Christ,  we  are  apt  to  notice  its  defects  first 
of  all.  We  have  already  studied  its  two  main  aspects,  the 
law  and  the  hope.  As  a  religion  of  law,  it  was  hard, 
calculating,  formal.  Instead  of  a  simple  trustful  fellow- 
ship with  God,  we  find  men  weighing  how  much  they  must 
do,  viewing  religion  as  a  task,  asking  as  to  their  reward. 
As  a  religion  of  hope  it  was  national  and  narrow,  seeing 
only  Israel.  It  thought  more  of  power  and  splendor  than 
it  did  of  righteousness,  more  of  the  judgment  on  its  ene- 
mies than  of  the  victory  over  sin.  And  yet  it  was  as  a 
child  of  this  people  that  Jesus  appeared ;  here  he  found  the 


34  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

men  that  carried  on  his  work;  and  here  alone  could  that 
work  have  been  begun.  What,  then,  did  the  Jews  con- 
tribute to  the  coming  Kingdom?  God  had  chosen  this 
people  for  a  special  service  of  preparation;  what  was  the 
fruitage  of  all  these  centuries  of  training?  The  answer 
may  be  summed  up  under  three  words :  the  Faith,  the 
People,  and  the  Writings. 

I.  The  Faith:  A  Living  God. — The  greatest  treasure 
of  any  man  or  nation  is  a  living  faith,  and  such  a  faith 
Israel  possessed.  For  this  faith  her  sons  had  been  ready 
to  offer  up  even  life  itself.  How  lofty  that  faith  was  we 
see  only  as  we  compare  it  with  the  highest  in  the  nations 
round  about.  It  was  first  of  all  a  faith  in  a  living  God. 
Thoughtful  men  throughout  the  Grecian  world  had  long 
since  gotten  the  idea  of  one  God,  and  the  Stoics  had 
taught  a  providence  in  nature.  But  this  was  in  the  main 
simply  a  theory  of  philosophers,  gathered  from  the  ordered 
nature  round  about  them.  But  the  Jehovah  of  Israel  was 
the  living  God  who  had  revealed  himself  in  their  history 
by  his  great  deeds.  It  was  he  who  had  created  the  heavens 
and  the  earth  (read  especially  Isa.  -±0),  and  had  led  them 
forth  from  Egypt  "with  a  mighty  hand,  and  with  an  out- 
stretched arm.^'  Again  and  again  this  note  is  sounded  in 
the  songs  of  Mary  and  Zacharias:  "He  that  is  mighty 
hath  done  to  me  great  things.  He  hath  showed  strength 
with  his  arm." 

A  Righteous  God. — This  living  God  was  a  righteous 
God.  That  was  the  great  message  of  Amos  and  Micah  and 
Isaiah:  Jehovah  is  righteous,  and  he  demands  righteous- 
ness in  his  worshipers,  not  incense  and  burnt-offerings. 
Whatever  the  philosophers  may  have  taught,  the  religion 
of  that  day  outside  of  Judaism  had  little  to  do  with 
morality.  Often,  indeed,  temple  and  worship  were  the 
center  of  immorality,  as  Paul  found  it  at  Corinth.  The 
Jewish  idea  of  righteousness  may  have  become  formal  and 
narrow,  but  the  demand  itself  was  plain  to  them.  Zacharias 
speaks  the  conviction  of  all  Israel :  "That  we  should  serve 
him  without  fear,  in  holiness  and  righteousness  before 
him  all  our  days." 


FOUNDATIONS  FOR  THE  KINGDOM         35 

A  Great  Hope. — With  this  faith  there  went  Israel's  hope, 
which  fills  with  joy  these  songs  in  the  first  chapter  of  Luke. 

"Blessed  6e  the  Lord,  the  God  of  Israel; 
For  he  hath  visited  and  wrought  redemption  for  his  people, 
And  hath  raised  up  a  horn  of  salvation  for  us 
In  the  house  of  his  servant  David." 

And  with  this  national  hope,  descended  from  the  earlier 
days,  there  had  come  in  later  times  the  doctrine  of  the 
resurrection  and  immortality,  to  speak  their  comfort  to 
the  individual. 

II.  The  People:  Their  Devotion. — Besides  the  faith, 
there  were  the  people  in  whom  the  faith  lived.  The  Jews 
were  a  scattered  nation  even  then,  living  in  every  part  of 
the  Eoman  world,  and  everywhere  they  were  a  preparation 
for  Christianity,  Everywhere  they  spread  the  principles 
of  this  great  faith  as  a  leaven.  Then,  as  now,  they  were 
despised  by  many,  but  there  were  those  not  Jews  who  came 
to  hear  and  some  who  remained  to  worship.  Paul  found 
the  synagogue  a  good  place  to  begin  his  work  and  many 
of  his  first  and  best  converts  were  secured  there. 

If  we  turn  from  the  Dispersion  to  the  Jews  of  Palestine, 
we  find  here  too  the  preparation  of  the  gospel  in  the  peo- 
ple. Our  common  notion  here  has  often  been  wrong,  be- 
cause we  have  fixed  our  eyes  upon  a  few  scribes  and 
Pharisees,  and  have  seen  only  narrowness  and  pride  and 
formalism.  We  must  remember  the  twelve  and  the  other 
faithful  disciples  of  Jesus  who  were  Jews,  as  well  as  the 
many  others  who  heard  him  gladly.  It  was  these  Jews 
that  made  the  first  church,  that  wrote  our  New  Testament 
in  most  part,  and  that  carried  the  gospel  throughout  the 
world. 

We  should  be  grateful  for  these  first  pages  of  Luke  be- 
cause of  the  picture  that  they  give  us  of  a  circle  that  we 
might  not  otherwise  know.  The  New  Testament  shows  us 
the  Pharisees,  but  they  were  only  a  few  thousands ;  it  shows 
us  the  Sadducees,  but  of  these  there  were  still  less.  But 
it  shows  us  this  other  circle  too,  the  simple,  devout  souls 
like  Zacharias  and  Elisabeth,  Joseph  and  Mary,  the  shep- 


36  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

herds,  and  Simeon  and  Anna.  You  cannot  tell  the  real 
life  of  a  nation  by  what  you  read  of  its  "prominent  people," 
or  by  the  names  and  tales  that  figure  in  newspaper  head- 
lines. In  these  quiet  souls  was  the  real  heart  of  Israel; 
here  its  deepest  faith  and  devotion  lived  on;  they  have 
been  called  "the  quiet  in  the  land."  As  we  study  these 
songs  of  Zacharias  and  Mary,  we  note  how  these  folks 
fed  not  so  much  upon  the  traditions  of  the  Law  as  upon 
the  words  of  psalmist  and  prophet.  Later  we  find  Jesus 
drawing  inspiration  from  these  same  sources.  These  folks 
did  not  teach  the  people,  as  did  the  scribes ;  nor  govern  the 
nation,  as  did  the  priests.  But  they  had  a  higher  glory 
and  wrought  a  greater  service:  they  furnished  the  homes 
in  which  were  born  and  nurtured  John  the  Baptist  and 
Jesus  of  Nazareth. 

III.  The  Writings:  A  Great  Literature.— The  third 
gift  of  the  Jewish  people  was  those  sacred  writings  which 
form  the  Old  Testament  of  our  Christian  Bible  to-day. 
For  many  years  this  Old  Testament  was  the  only  Bible 
of  the  early  church.  In  its  writings  Jesus  and  his  disciples 
were  nurtured.  It  was  no  new  God  that  Jesus  proclaimed, 
but  the  Jehovah  who  appeared  in  these  pages,  "the  God  of 
Abraham,  and  of  Isaac,  and  of  Jacob."  From  its  pages 
he  took  his  answer  to  the  tempter,  and  one  of  its  psalms 
was  on  his  lips  in  the  last  agony  of  the  cross  (Psa.  22). 
Years  before  this  it  had  been  translated  into  the  Greek,  a 
translation  that  was  called  the  Septuagint,  from  a  tradition 
about  seventy  scholars  who  were  supposed  to  have  made 
it.  This  Greek  translation  was  carried  by  Jews  through- 
out the  world,  and  the  early  Christian  preachers  took  it 
with  them  where  they  went.  Its  language  gave  these 
Christians  the  words  in  which  their  greater  message  was 
spoken.  Who  can  measure  what  this  Old  Testament,  the 
Bible  of  Jesus,  has  meant  to  men  since  then?  We  read 
its  histories  and  see  again  the  living  God  moving  in  the 
tide  of  human  affairs.  We  read  its  psalms  and  they  voice 
our  own  prayers  and  confessions,  our  faith  and  our  wor- 
ship, our  joys  and  our  tears.  We  turn  to  its  prophets 
and  they  speak  like  men  of  our  own  day,  scourging  our 


FOUNDATIONS  FOR  THE  KINGDOM         37 

formalism  in  religion  and  our  social  oppression  and  wrong. 
And  to  this  day  what  better  word  can  we  find  to  put  on 
the  walls  of  Christian  temples  than  Micah's  great  message 
as  to  the  meaning  of  religion :  "And  what  doth  Jehovah 
require  of  thee,  but  to  do  justly,  and  to  love  kindness,  and 
to  walk  humbly  with  thy  God?" 

DiBECTIONS    FOR    STUDY 

Recall  the  main  points  of  the  first  two  lessons:  Israel's  fight 
for  religious  freedom,  her  deep  zeal  for  the  Law,  and  the  hope 
which  stirred  her. 

Read  Luke  1.  1  to  2.  39.  From  these  pages  try  to  picture  the 
inner  religious  life  of  these  people  and  the  atmosphere  in 
which  Jesus  and  John  grew  up.  Here,  as  in  all  Bible  study, 
the  marginal  references  in  the  American  Revised  Version  are 
of  great  value.  The  student  should  form  the  habit  of  looking 
up  these  references  on  special  points.  By  the  aid  of  these 
marginal  references  note  the  many  Old  Testament  phrases 
used  in  these  songs. 

Read  Acts  17.  22-31.  Bring  before  your  mind  what  was  said 
of  the  Roman  and  Grecian  world.  Think  of  this  as  the  world 
to  which  Paul  went  forth.  Think  of  it  also  as  the  world  in 
which  Jesus  was  born. 

At  the  close  of  your  study  try  to  sum  up  in  turn  the  contri- 
butions made  by  Rome,  Greece,  and  Israel,  and  to  fix  these  in 
your  mind. 

Outside  of  the  Christian  Church,  what  do  you  consider  the 
greatest  forces  in  the  world  of  to-day  which  are  making  for  the 
kingdom  of  God? 


CHAPTER   IV 
JOHN  THE  PROPHET 

The  Fullness  of  Time :  the  Law. — Jesus  came  in  the  full- 
ness of  time.  That  fullness  lay  not  simply  in  what  had 
been  wrought  by  Greece  and  Rome  or  in  what  Israel  con- 
tributed from  her  past:  it  lay  in  the  very  condition  of  the 
Jewish  people  at  this  time.  We  have  seen  that  the  two 
focal  points  in  the  Jewish  life  were  the  Law  and  the  hope. 
The  fullness  of  time  was  come  so  far  as  the  religion  of 
the  Law  was  concerned.  The  Pharisees  had  worked  out 
that  system  to  its  full  consequences  and  had  made  every 
part  of  the  people's  life  subject  to  it.  But  the  Law  that 
ruled  men  could  not  give  men  life.  It  could  bring  com- 
mandment, but  not  peace  or  power.  Paul  is  our  great 
illustration  here.  If  this  man  failed,  with  his  masterful 
will  and  his  absolute  devotion,  how  could  the  Law  save 
common  folks?    The  time  had  come  for  a  higher  way. 

The  Fullness  of  Time:  in  History. — The  same  thing  is 
true  when  we  think  of  the  people's  hope.  The  hearts  of 
the  people  were  filled  with  expectation.  True,  the  yoke 
of  Rome  lay  heavy,  but  the  tide  of  national  spirit  ran  full. 
The  glories  of  the  Maccabean  day  were  not  far  in  the 
past,  and  the  people  remembered  them  though  the  priests 
had  made  their  compact  with  Rome  and  frowned  on 
Messianic  dreams,  while  the  minds  of  the  Pharisees  were 
filled  with  the  matters  of  law.  The  hearts  of  men  were 
stirred  with  great  hopes.  We  see  them  reflected  in  the 
pages  of  the  New  Testament,  in  the  frequent  reference  to 
kingdom  and  Messiah,  in  the  party  of  the  Zealots,  in  the 
references  to  uprisings  and  false  Messiahs  (Luke  6.  15 ;  13. 
1;  Acts  5.  36,  37;  21.  38).  A  generation  later  and  the 
conditions  were  all  changed.  The  year  A.  D.  70  is  the 
great  dividing  line  in  the  historj^  of  Judaism.     In  that 

38 


JOHN  THE  PEOPHET  39 

fateful  vear  city  and  temple  were  destroyed  and  the  old 
worship  passed  away;  the  Jewish  religion  became  the  reli- 
gion of  the  Law  alone,  and  the  sway  of  the  scribe  was 
complete.  We  cannot  think  of  Jesus'  work  as  being  done 
after  that  time. 

John  the  Man 

The  Voice  of  His  Age. — John  the  Baptist  was  the  highest 
expression  of  the  hopes  and  longings  of  his  age.  We  have 
not  done  justice  to  this  great  figure.  We  have  thought 
of  him  as  a  herald,  a  voice,  and  have  not  seen  how  much 
more  than  this  he  was.  It  was  his  lot  to  bring  together 
the  old  and  the  new.  He  voiced  what  was  noblest  in  the 
past  while  he  made  ready  for  that  which  was  to  come.  And 
yet  he  was  a  man  of  his  own  age  and  his  own  people, 
compelling  these  to  listen  because  what  was  deepest  in  their 
conscience  and  faith  spoke  to  them  through  him. 

His  Appearing. — There  are  few  figures  more  striking 
than  that  of  John.  He  is  like  that  Elijah  with  whom 
Jesus  compared  him.  He  comes  of  a  sudden  from  the 
obscurity  of  the  wilderness.  We  see  him  for  a  little 
while,  a  figure  of  commanding  power  swaying  the  multi- 
tudes; then  almost  as  suddenly  he  disappears  again  from 
view.  Only  a  few  words  are  needed  to  tell  the  story  of  his 
life.  He  was  a  hermit,  dwelling  in  the  wilderness  near 
the  Jordan.  He  was  a  man  before  he  was  a  preacher,  pre- 
paring himself  in  meditation  and  repentance  for  the  com- 
ing of  the  Messiah  of  whose  nearness  he  felt  sure.  It  may 
be  that  it  was  his  fame  as  a  hermit  that  reached  the  people 
first,  and  that  their  coming  to  him  was  his  opportunity 
and  his  call  to  bring  to  the  nation  that  which  filled  his 
own  heart.  In  any  case,  when  we  first  see  him  the  throngs 
from  all  Judsea  are  coming  to  him,  hearing  his  stern  and 
searching  word  and  receiving  his  baptism  in  the  Jordan. 
Soon  they  were  coming  from  Galilee  as  well,  just  as  one 
day  there  came  the  young  Man  from  Nazareth  and  the 
young  men  from  Capernaum.  Most  of  the  crowd  came 
and  went,  a  motley  company,  including  even  haughty 
Pharisees  and  lordly  Sadducees  from  Jerusalem.     Some 


40  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

joined  themselves  to  his  person  as  disciples,  of  whom  were 
x^ndrew  and  perhaps  John  and  Peter  and  Nathanael. 

His  End. — At  length  Herod  Antipas,  to  whom  Galilee 
and  Pertea  belonged,  laid  hold  of  John  and  imprisoned 
him.  Herod's  wife,  Herodias,  had  first  married  Herod 
Philip,  who,  like  Antipas,  was  her  uncle.  Probably  be- 
cause of  ambition,  she  left  him  to  marry  his  brother  Anti- 
pas. It  was  this  shameless  marriage  that  John  had  de- 
nounced, and  it  was  the  anger  of  Herodias  that  caused  his 
death  in  the  gloomy  fortress  of  Machgerus,  where  Josephus 
tells  us  that  John  was  imprisoned.  Apart  from  this 
tragedy,  only  one  other  event  comes  to  us  from  these  days 
in  prison,  the  sending  of  two  disciples  to  Jesus  to  inquire 
whether  he  were  the  Messiah.  From  this  distance  we  can- 
not be  sure  of  the  meaning  of  this  act:  whether  it  sprang 
from  a  doubt  caused  by  John's  own  fate,  or  was  done  for 
the  sake  of  his  disciples. 

The  Message  of  John 

Believe  and  Repent. — What  was  the  message  of  John 
that  so  stirred  the  people  from  one  end  of  the  land  to  the 
other  ?  It  was  first  of  all  John's  declaration  that  the  King- 
dom was  at  hand.  That  was  enough  to  draw  the  multi- 
tudes. But  that  was  not  the  whole  of  John's  message, 
nor  what  was  new  in  it.  The  new  note  was  the  word 
"repent."  That  word  had  been  sounded  by  the  prophets 
of  old,  but  had  not  often  been  heard  in  John's  day.  The 
Jews  were  looking  for  deliverance,  not  because  of  their 
righteousness  or  repentance,  but  because  they  were  Abra- 
ham's children.  That  is  not  enough  to  build  upon,  John 
declares;  God  can  raise  up  out  of  these  stones  children  of 
Abraham.  It  is  righteousness  that  he  wants.  The  judg- 
ment is  to  be  not  upon  the  nations,  but  upon  unrighteous 
men  everywhere.  The  Messiah  is  coming,  but  he  will  sift 
Israel  as  wheat  is  sifted  from  the  chaff.  The  chaff  will  be 
destroyed,  the  trees  without  fruit  will  be  cut  down.  And 
he  is  at  hand;  repent.  The  ax  is  already  at  the  root  of 
the  tree,  the  fan  is  already  in  his  hand. 


JOHN  THE  PKOPHET  41 

The  Prophet. — Thus  John  preached,  stirring  first  men's 
hopes,  then  laying  hold  of  their  conscience.  And  men 
heard  him  for  the  one  reason  as  for  the  other,  just  as 
of  old  their  fathers  listened  to  the  fearless  prophets.  That, 
indeed,  was  another  reason  why  they  came.  Here  was  once 
more  a  prophet.  Such  Jesus  called  him,  such  the  people 
held  him  to  be.  It  had  been  one  of  their  sorrows  that  for 
so  many  generations  there  had  been  no  such  messenger 
from  God.  Now  God  was  speaking  to  his  people  again. 
Nothing  shows  so  clearly  the  impression  that  John  made 
as  this,  that  the  people  placed  him  by  the  side  of  those 
great  men  who  had  spoken  for  God  in  the  past,  the  men 
who  were  the  glory  of  their  nation's  history. 

The  Baptism  of  John. — In  one  respect  John  differed 
from  the  prophets;  he  asked  the  people  to  undergo  a  cere- 
mony of  baptism.  But  here  too  it  was  the  prophet  at 
work,  and  not  the  priest.  It  was  not  that  the  rite  had 
any  magic  meaning.  It  was  a  form  familiar  to  the  people, 
used  for  ceremonial  cleansing  (see  Lev.  15  and  elsewhere), 
and  also  when  a  proselyte  was  admitted.  The  people  knew 
it,  then,  as  a  symbol  of  purity  on  the  one  hand,  and  a 
ceremony  of  enrollment  on  the  other.  With  John  it  seems 
to  have  had  both  meanings,  only  deepened  and  enriched 
in  accordance  with  his  message.  It  was  a  baptism  of  re- 
pentance and  a  sign  of  cleansing  from  sin.  And  so  he  was 
wont  to  tell  those  who  came  for  baptism  definitely  what 
evil  they  must  cast  from  their  lives;  the  soldiers  must 
cease  oppressing,  the  taxgatherers  must  not  take  more  than 
was  due.  But  it  was  a  sign  of  enrollment  too;  these  men 
were  pledging  themselves  to  repentance  and  a  new  life 
in  preparation  for  the  coming  Messiah.  It  was  the  cove- 
nant of  a  new  Israel  that  was  to  be  prepared  to  meet  its 
King. 

The  Meaning  of  John's  Wokk 

The  Forerunner. — What  was  the  meaning  of  John's 
work  ?  He  was  first  of  all  a  prophet,  as  Jesus  called  him. 
We  see  to-day  that  the  glory  and  strength  of  Israel  lay 
not  in  priest  and  temple ;  not  in  the  laws  which  were  begin- 


42  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

ning  and  end  for  the  Pharisees.  It  was  in  her  prophets: 
men  who  saw  God  and  feared  no  man,  men  who  heard  God 
and  could  but  speak,  men  who  denounced  sin  in  places 
high  and  low,  too  often  reaping  a  reward  of  death,  like 
John;  and  yet  men  of  courage  because  they  believed  that 
Jehovah  had  a  great  purpose  to  work  out  in  the  end.  All 
of  this  at  its  best  was  in  John.  And  he  was  more  than 
a  prophet:  he  was  the  forerunner  whose  privilege  it  was 
to  usher  in  the  new  day  of  greater  things. 

His  Limitations. — The  limitations  of  John's  work  are 
as  clear  as  its  strength,  and  John  recognized  this  himself. 
His  work  was  negative ;  he  could  but  call  men  to  leave  evil ; 
another  was  to  come  who  was  to  establish  the  good.  He 
baptized  with  water,  the  symbol;  but,  like  the  prophets  of 
old,  he  knew  that  a  greater  work  was  needed.  Jeremiah 
had  written  of  the  days  of  the  new  covenant,  when  men 
were  to  have  not  a  law  above  them,  but  a  new  spirit  within 
them,  the  law  in  their  hearts  (Jer.  31.  31-3-i).  And  Joel 
had  spoken  of  the  Spirit  that  was  to  be  poured  out  in 
that  day  (Joel  2.  28).  So  John  declared  that  the  Messiah 
was  to  baptize  in  the  Holy  Spirit  and  in  fire.  Yet  even 
here  John  shares  the  limitations  of  the  old;  the  Messiah 
is  first  of  all  for  him  the  judge,  fan  in  hand,  ax  at  the 
root,  cleansing  with  fire,  but  destroying  as  well.  That  was 
why  Jesus  declared  the  least  in  the  kingdom  of  God  as 
greater  than  he,  not  in  character,  but  in  that  new  vision  of 
the  God  of  grace  and  of  the  life  of  sonship  which  could 
say,  "Abba,  Father.*' 

The  Tribute  of  Jesus. — To  the  greatness  of  John's 
character  Jesus  gave  recognition  in  one  of  the  finest  tributes 
ever  paid  to  men.  John  was  the  man  of  strength,  Jesus 
said,  not  a  swaying  reed.  He  was  the  devoted  man;  there 
was  no  softness  of  raiment,  no  luxury  of  food  with  him. 
He  was  the  prophet ;  there  could  be  no  higher  calling.  And 
he  was  a  man,  with  none  greater  born  of  woman.  It  was 
generous  praise,  for  we  must  remember  that  at  this  time 
Jesus  was  the  prophet  little  known,  while  John's  name 
and  fame  had  swept  the  land.  But  the  heart  of  the  com- 
mon people  whom  John  had  stirred  went  out  to  Jesus  at 


JOHN  THE  PROPHET  43 

this  word,  to  this  new  prophet  who  began  with  kingdom 
and  repentance,  as  John  began,  and  yet  whose  message 
was  so  different. 

The  Results  of  John's  Work 

With  the  Nation,  the  Disciples,  and  Jesus. — What  was 
the  fruit  of  John's  work?  Very  little,  it  would  seem  at 
first  glance.  With  the  multitudes  it  was  largely  curiosity. 
"What  went  ye  out  to  behold?"  is  Jesus'  question  and 
comment.  And  yet  there  are  incidents  which  show  how 
mightily  John  stirred  the  nation.  The  crowd  that  came 
was  not  one  that  stopped  for  a  moment  in  the  street.  They 
had  to  go  out  to  the  wilderness  where  John  was.  They 
came  there  from  far  Galilee  as  well  as  from  Judaea,  and 
even  the  Sadducees  and  Pharisees  found  their  way.  Even 
from  Herod  John  won  a  mingled  respect  and  fear.  He  did 
not  want  to  put  John  to  death,  and  his  superstition  saw 
in  Jesus  the  mighty  spirit  of  John  come  to  life  again. 
Long  afterward  Paul  found  in  Ephesus  a  little  group  of 
disciples  who  had  remained  faithful  to  John's  teaching 
(Acts  19.  1-7).  And  still  another  of  his  disciples  was 
the  eloquent  Apollos,  who,  like  the  twelve  that  Paul  found, 
remained  faithful  for  years  to  the  Baptist  before  he  heard 
the  gospel  of  Jesus.  But  John's  greatest  work  lay  in  an- 
other direction.  It  was  his  message  that  stirred  the  young 
man  Jesus  in  his  little  village  home  and  called  him  forth, 
and  it  was  his  work  that  prepared  the  way  for  the  greater 
One.  He  shook  the  easy  confidence  of  many  who  had  rested 
upon  the  fact  that  they  were  Abraham's  children,  and  put 
upon  their  lips  a  new  question  :  What  must  we  do  ? 

Directions  fob  Study 

Review  briefly  the  previous  lessons,  calling  to  mind  espe- 
cially what  we  have  studied  as  to  the  expectations  of  the  peo- 
ple as  to  the  Kingdom  on  the  one  hand,  and  on  the  other  the 
formalism  and  failure  in  their  religious  life. 

Read  Luke  3.  1-18.  Note  the  estimate  of  the  religious  life  of 
his  people  implied  in  what  John  says,  and  the  courage  and 
deflniteness  of  his  preaching.    John  looks  forward  to  another; 


44  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

compare  Jesus,  who  knows  that  there  is  nothing  higher  than 
his  own  word. 

Read  Mark  6.  12-29.  Compare  Mark  6.  20  with  Matthew 
14.  5.    Which  probably  gives  the  more  accurate  account? 

Read  Matthew  11.  7-14.  With  what  characters  in  biblical 
history  or  elsewhere  would  you  compare  John  the  Baptist? 

Give  an  estimate  of  his  character,  stating  his  strong  quali- 
ties and  his  limitations. 


CHAPTEE    V 

JESUS'  PEEPAEATION  AND  HIS  CALL 

Never  was  there  a  great  movement  which  began  more 
simply  than  Christianity.  We  have  already  noted  that 
there  were  certain  Galileans  who  had  come  down  to  hear 
John  and  had  Joined  the  inner  circle  of  his  disciples.  One 
day  another  Galilasan  appeared :  Jesus,  the  carpenter  from 
Nazareth.  He  too  listened  to  John's  preaching,  and  then 
joined  those  who  asked  for  baptism.  In  that  hour  of  bap- 
tism there  came  the  voice  from  God  telling  him  that  he 
was  the  Messiah  whose  nearness  John  was  declaring.  There 
in  the  heart  of  that  young  man,  hidden  from  the  eyes  of 
the  crowding  throngs,  was  the  real  beginning  of  Chris- 
tianity. 

The  Peeparation  or  Jesus 

The  Boy  Jesus. — Of  what  preceded  the  baptism  of  Jesus 
and  of  how  Jesus  was  prepared,  the  Gospels  give  us  no 
account.  And  yet  there  are  suggestions  of  real  value  that 
we  may  consider.  The  mystery  of  that  life  nothing  can 
explain,  but  it  will  be  of  interest  and  profit  for  us  to 
get  what  light  we  can  from  Gospel  page  and  Jewish  cus- 
tom upon  the  home  and  boyhood  life  of  Jesus.  For  the 
suggestive  words  of  Luke  tell  us  that  Jesus  lived  the  normal 
life  of  a  boy,  subject  to  his  parents  and  increasing  year  by 
year  "in  wisdom  and  stature,  and  in  favor  with  God  and 
man." 

Never  was  there  a  people  who  cared  for  the  training  of 
their  children  as  did  the  Jews,  especially  in  Jesus'  day. 
There  is  nothing  more  hopeful  in  the  life  of  the  church 
to-day  than  the  increasing  attention  that  we  are  giving  to 
religious  education,  but  even  now  we  are  not  giving  as 
much  time  and  thought  as  did  the  Jews.    "Our  ground  is 

45 


4G  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

good,  and  we  work  it  to  the  utmost,"  writes  Josephus; 
"but  our  chief  ambition  is  for  the  nurture  of  our  children." 

The  Study  of  the  Law. — There  were  three  elements  in 
the  training  of  a  Jewish  boy.  The  first  was  the  study  of 
the  Law.  That  study  began  at  home  with  mother  and 
father  as  soon  as  a  boy  could  speak.  The  first  words  that 
he  learned  were  probably  the  Shema  (Deut.  6.  4-9;  IL  13- 
21;  Num.  15.  37-41).  These  words  every  devout  Jew 
recited  morning  and  evening.  For  most  of  them,  no 
doubt,  it  was  but  a  matter  of  the  "vain  repetitions"  M^hich 
Jesus  condemned,  like  the  Pater  nosters  and  other  prayers 
of  some  folks  to-day.  The  words  had  other  meaning  for 
him.  It  is  interesting  to  recall  that  his  answer  to  the 
questioning  scribe  began  with  the  first  words  that  he 
learned  as  a  child :  "Hear,  0  Israel ;  the  Lord  our  God, 
the  Lord  is  one;  and  thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God 
with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy 
mind,  and  with  all  thy  strength."  At  the  age  of  six  he 
started  to  the  synagogue  school  to  which  was  added  later 
the  Sabbath  service. 

Training  Through  History. — The  story  of  Abraham  and 
Isaac,  of  Joseph  and  his  dreams,  of  Moses  and  his  wonder- 
working rod,  of  Egypt's  discomfiture  and  the  great  de- 
liverance, of  the  exploits  of  David,  down  to  the  tale  of 
splendid  heroism  under  Judas  Maccabeus  and  his  brothers : 
this  was  the  record  that  filled  every  Jewish  boy  with  pride 
and  made  him,  no  matter  how  far  from  the  land  of-  his 
fathers,  still  above  all  else  a  Jew.  To  Jesus  it  brought  the 
sense  of  a  living,  working  presence  of  God,  and  it  was  this 
God  of  his  fathers  that  he  proclaimed  when  he  began  to 
teach :  the  God  of  Abraham,  and  of  Isaac,  and  of  Jacob. 

And  this  history  was  not  taught  by  stories  alone.  The 
great  festivals  were  an  even  more  powerful  mode  of  stirring 
religious  patriotism.  The  three  principal  festivals  were 
those  of  the  Passover,  the  Feast  of  Pentecost,  and  that  of 
Tabernacles.  They  set  forth  the  great  events  of  the  past : 
deliverance  from  Egypt,  the  giving  of  the  Law,  and  the 
life  in  the  wilderness.  At  least  once  a  year  each  pious  Jew 
sought  to  make  the  pilgrimage  to  Jerusalem  for  one  of 


JESUS'  PREPAEATION  AND  CALL     47 

these  feasts,  especially  the  Passover.  We  can  hardly  realize 
how  deep  the  impression  must  have  been :  the  city  bursting 
into  view  as  the  pilgrims  reached  the  crest  of  the  hill  over- 
looking its  wonderful  buildings;  the  memories  clustering 
about  the  place,  from  David  onward ;  the  crowding  throngs 
from  every  quarter  of  the  Roman  world,  filled  with  joy 
and  patriotic  exultation;  and  at  last  the  wondrous  temple 
itself,  its  courts,  its  sacred  inner  inclosure,  and  its  solemn 
ritual.  Luke's  simple  narrative  suggests  the  profound  im- 
pression made  upon  the  boy  Jesus  at  that  first  memorable 
visit. 

The  Influence  of  the  Messianic  Hope. — A  third  element 
entered  into  the  training  of  the  youth  and  must  have  been 
strongly  present  in  Jesus'  home.  That  was  the  hope  which 
every  pious  Jew  nurtured.  It  was  present  more  strongly 
with  the  common  people,  indeed,  than  with  the  leaders. 
The  priestly  party  had  made  its  compromise  with  Eome, 
as  it  had  before  with  the  Greeks,  to  retain  its  position. 
The  Pharisees  had  become  quite  willing  to  let  political 
matters  remain  at  one  side,  so  long  as  they  could  devote 
themselves  to  the  law  and  maintain  their  place  as  leaders 
there.  But  the  ancient  hopes  still  burned  in  the  hearts  of 
the  common  people.  Pharisees  and  scribes  pondered  the 
traditions  of  the  law;  but  the  common  people  read  the 
apocalypses,  books  like  Daniel,  which  in  vision  and  under 
all  manner  of  pictures  set  forth  the  glorious  triumph  that 
was  coming. 

The  Vision  of  Youth. — But  it  was  not  such  writings 
that  made  the  strongest  appeal  to  Jesus.  His  later  use  of 
the  Bible  shows  what  his  earlier  study  was.  He  loved  the 
psalms,  and  it  was  a  psalm  that  was  on  his  lips  when  he 
died  (Mark  15.  34).  Next  to  them  it  was  the  prophets 
that  appealed  to  him,  and  Deuteronomy,  which  itself  is 
a  prophetic  book.  These  writings,  with  their  devotion  to 
God,  their  insistence  upon  righteousness,  their  denunciation 
of  moral  evil,  appealed  to  what  was  in  his  own  heart  and 
helped  to  shape  his  own  hope  concerning  the  Kingdom. 
He  too  believed  the  new  day  was  coming.  Every  plant 
which  his  Father  had  not  planted  was  to  be  rooted  up. 


48  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

Sin  and  sorrow  were  to  be  done  away  and  righteousness  was 
to  come.  The  ^Messiah  was  to  bring  in  a  new  world,  in 
which  only  the  Father's  will  was  to  be  done,  and  every 
other  power  was  to  be  overthrown.  How  this  vision  must 
have  stirred  his  heart  and  filled  his  waking  hours. 

The  School  of  Common  Life. — Meanwhile  there  was  still 
another  part  of  his  preparation  that  went  on,  developing 
out  of  his  simple  daily  life.  He  seems  to  have  followed 
Joseph's  calling  of  carpenter.  In  daily  toil  and  common 
duties  he  learned  to  know  men  and  life.  He  read  the 
hearts  of  folks  and  saw  the  good  and  evil  there,  their  weak- 
ness and  temptations  and  needs.  He  learned  the  ways  of 
common  life,  the  work  of  the  farmer,  the  builder,  the 
merchant,  the  housewife.  In  beautiful  Galilee,  so  much 
more  fruitful  than  Judasa,  he  learned  the  wealth  and 
beauty  of  nature  which  his  sayings  later  reflected :  the 
growing  crops,  the  fair  wild  flowers,  the  flocking  birds,  the 
glowing  dawn  and  sunset,  and  all  the  life  which  showed 
his  Father's  presence  and  his  Father's  care. 

His  Baptism  and  His  Call 

So  Jesus  lived  on.  Boyhood  gave  place  to  youth  and 
manhood.  If  it  be  true  that  Joseph  died  early,  then 
upon  Jesus  as  the  eldest  son  the  cares  of  the  home  rested, 
with  its  goodly  household  of  at  least  seven  children  (Matt. 
13.  55,  56).  The  years  of  manhood  too  began  to  pass. 
They  were  not  empty  years  for  him  either  in  inner  growth 
or  outer  service,  but  his  time  was  not  yet  come.  Nor  is 
there  any  suggestion  that,  when  he  pondered  over  the 
coming  of  the  Kingdom  and  asked  himself  when  it  might 
be,  he  had  yet  realized  that  he  himself  was  to  be  the  chosen 
one  to  bring  in  that  day.  The  words  of  the  boy  in  the 
temple  tell  us  only  of  a  spirit  filled  with  the  thought  of 
higher  things  and  the  devotion  to  his  Father. 

The  Call  of  John. — There  came  a  day  at  last  when  pil- 
grims from  the  south  brought  word  of  a  wonderful 
preacher.  He  wrought  no  miracles,  but  those  who  heard 
him  believed  that  at  last  a  prophet  had  again  arisen.    They 


JESUS'  PREPARATION  AND  CALL     49 

told  of  his  strange  garb  and  holy  life,  of  the  throngs  that 
moved  out  to  hear  him,  and  of  his  message.  As  Jesus  heard 
the  report  of  that  message  his  heart  was  stirred  within 
him.  Here  was  one  that  voiced  his  v'>wn  conviction.  He 
did  not  call  the  people  to  rise  against  Rome,  but  to  repent 
of  their  sins.  Surely  he  was  a  prophet,  and  surely  he  was 
right,  then,  in  his  declaration  that  at  length  the  Kingdom 
was  at  hand. 

Jesus  and  John's  Baptism. — Others  had  already  gone 
down  from  Galilee  when  Jesus  answered  the  call.  Who 
John  was  he  probably  knew,  but  it  is  an  open  question 
whether  these  two  were  personally  acquainted.  Lost  in 
the  multitude,  Jesus  listened  to  John's  preaching.  Yes, 
this  was  indeed  a  herald  of  Jehovah.  Then  Jesus  offered 
himself  for  baptism.  We  have  seen  that  John's  baptism 
had  two  meanings.  It  was  a  baptism  of  repentance,  the 
sign  that  men  were  turning  from  their  sins,  thus  to  make 
ready  for  Messiah's  coming,  and  it  was  a  form  of  consecra- 
tion, the  enlistment  of  a  new  Israel  to  welcome  her  King. 
How  could  Jesus  take  this  baptism  upon  him  ? 

John  himself,  we  are  told,  refused  the  baptism  at  first. 
It  appears  he  did  not  recognize  Jesus.  But  it  was  his  wont 
apparently  to  question  those  whom  he  baptized,  as  we  see 
from  the  directions  he  gave  to  the  taxgatherers  and  soldiers. 
In  this  Man  he  saw  not  the  sign  of  sin,  but  the  presence  of 
a  spiritual  vision  and  power  above  his  own,  though  he  had 
not  yet  marked  him  as  the  Messiah.  "I  might  well  be 
baptized  of  you,"  he  declared,  "instead  of  your  coming  to 
me."  But  Jesus  saw  a  larger  meaning  than  this  individual 
application.  First  of  all,  he  believed  that  John's  move- 
ment and  message  were  of  God.  He  wanted  to  enroll  him- 
self, to  pledge  himself  to  this  preparation  for  the  King- 
dom. But  was  there  not  a  second  and  deeper  meaning? 
His  own  life  had  never  known  any  will  but  his  Father's 
will;  it  had  been  without  sin.  But  the  sin  of  his  people 
had  already  lain  hea^^y  upon  his  soul.  Was  it  not  natural 
that  he  should  share  in  this  ceremony  in  which  the  people 
were  thus  visibly  confessing  their  sins  ?  He  and  they  were 
alike  thinking,  not  simply  of  individual  need  and  desire. 


50  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

but  of  the  nation's  sin  and  of  the  salvation  that  was  to 
come  to  the  nation.  Even  now,  before  the  great  call  came, 
he  was  bearing  the  sins  of  men. 

The  Baptism  of  the  Spirit. — With  the  baptism  of  water 
there  came  a  higher  baptism,  which  John  could  not  give: 
the  baptism  of  the  Spirit  of  God.  That  Spirit  had  been 
in  the  heart  of  Jesus  from  the  beginning  in  a  life  of  per- 
fect union  with  the  Father.  But  a  new  call  was  coming, 
a  new  life  was  beginning,  and  with  these  came  a  new  con- 
sciousness of  his  relation  to  God,  a  new  need,  and  a  new 
and  fuller  presence  of  God  in  him.  For  the  Spirit  and  the 
call  came  together,  and  each  interpreted  the  other.  "Thou 
art  my  beloved  Son,  in  thee  I  am  well  pleased."  By  such 
words  could  be  meant  only  one  thing:  he  himself  was  the 
Chosen  One,  the  Messiah  whom  John  proclaimed. 

Directions  fob  Study 

Review  briefly  the  outline  of  the  first  four  lessons;  think 
of  each  point  in  its  possible  relation  to  Jesus  as  boy  and 
young  man.  Think,  for  example,  of  the  story  of  the  Macca- 
bees as  told  to  him  by  his  mother;  of  what  he  knew  of  the 
Roman  world  and  how  he  felt  when  he  saw  Roman  soldiery; 
of  how  he  learned  Greek  in  Galilee  from  hearing  it  spoken 
(Galilee  was  hardly  half  Jewish);  of  his  feelings  toward 
the  ways  and  teachings  of  the  scribes  and  Pharisees. 

Read  Luke  2.  40-52  and  Matthew  3.  13-17. 

Name  in  order  of  importance  what  you  consider  the  princi- 
pal influences  that  helped  to  shape  the  life  of  the  boy  Jesus. 
How  far  are  these  influences  working  upon  boys  and  girls 
to-day?     What  is  hindering  them? 

From  the  hill  crest  looking  down  on  Nazareth  one  can 
see  thirty  miles.  Using  maps  and  Bible,  make  a  list  of  the 
places  of  historic  note  upon  which  the  boy  Jesus  might  have 
looked  on  any  clear  day. 

Every  student  should  have  Huck's  Synopsis  of  the  First 
Three  Gospels  (Methodist  Book  Concern;  $1,  net),  or  Stevens 
and  Burton,  Harmony  of  the  Gospels,  preferably  the  former. 
These  print  the  Gospel  records  side  by  side. 


CHAPTEE   VI 

CHOOSING  THE  WAY 

What  a  tumult  must  have  filled  the  soul  of  Jesus  after 
Ms  baptism!  The  day  of  Jehovah  was  at  hand,  the  day 
to  which  his  people  had  so  long  looked  forward.  The 
powers  of  evil  were  to  be  overthrown,  the  rule  of  God  was 
coming.  And  he  was  to  be  the  Deliverer,  the  King !  The 
turning  point  in  the  world's  history  had  come,  and  it 
centered  now  in  this  young  carpenter  from  the  Galilaean 
village.  With  this  overwhelming  conviction  there  had 
come  to  Jesus  a  new  sense  of  the  presence  of  God  with 
him  and  in  him.  What  followed  was  inevitable :  "The 
Spirit  driveth  him  forth."  Jesus  must  be  alone  with  God 
and  with  the  task  that  God  had  given  him.  And  so  he 
goes  a  little  farther  out  into  the  wilderness,  away  from 
John  and  the  crowds  that  were  coming  and  going.  He 
had  been  called  to  the  task  and  fitted  for  it;  now  he  must 
face  the  question  as  to  what  the  task  meant.  What  was 
to  be  his  work  as  the  Messiah?  How  was  he  to  bring  in 
the  Kingdom  ? 

Jesus  Facing  the  Issue 

The  Meaning  of  the  Forty  Days. — Nothing  would  be 
more  crude  or  more  false  than  to  imagine  that  Jesus  was 
driven  into  the  wilderness  by  some  blind  force  that  he 
could  not  resist,  that  he  was  turned  over  to  the  powers  of 
evil  for  a  while,  and  that  he  thus  underwent  a  kind  of 
formal  trial  before  beginning  his  work.  Jesus  was  going 
aside  to  meditate  and  pray,  as  he  did  so  often  in  his  later 
life.  The  Spirit  that  drove  him  was  the  same  inner  spirit 
that  sent  him  to  the  mount  of  transfiguration  and  to 
Gethsemane.  Only  here  he  was  facing  for  the  first  time 
clearly  and  fully  his  whole  life-question,  and  he  needed 
not  one  night,  but  many  days.    In  the  end  the  prayer  be- 

51 


52  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

came  a  great  conflict  and  before  we  can  understand  Jesus' 
life  we  must  see  clearly  the  issue  involved  in  that  struggle. 
Jesus  and  the  Popular  Hope. — Simply  stated,  the  issue 
was  this :  What  was  Jesus  as  Messiah  to  do  with  the  expecta- 
tions of  the  people  ?  We  have  already  studied  the  outlines 
of  this  hope  as  held  by  most  of  the  people.  The  kingdom 
of  God  was  to  be  the  kingdom  of  Israel,  the  triumph  of 
Israel  over  her  enemies.  Before  that  came  there  was  to 
be  a  final  conflict,  a  last  assault  by  Israel's  foes  in  which 
these  were  to  be  overthrown.  Then  would  come  the  new 
age  with  wonderful  prosperity  and  happiness.  Jerusalem 
would  be  the  capital  of  the  earth  and  all  nations  would 
be  subject  to  her.  The  idea  of  the  Messiah  fitted  into  this. 
He  was  to  be  a  figure  of  majesty  and  power,  working  won- 
ders, leading  Israel's  forces,  smiting  the  enemy.  We  see 
how  narrow  and  faulty  this  dream  was.  It  was  national 
and  selfish;  the  people  thought  only  of  Israel.  It  was 
largely  external;  they  thought  of  material  blessings  and 
political  triumph.  They  had  not  seen  that  the  real  enemy 
was  not  Eome,  but  sin  and  unrighteousness.  All  this  was 
not  a  matter  of  theory  nor  theology  with  the  people;  it 
was  the  question  of  a  practical  program.  Men  were  looking 
for  a  leader  against  Eome.  The  party  of  the  Zealots  was 
coming  into  power,  summoning  the  people  to  rise.  How 
serious  it  was  history  shows  us.  A  generation  later  these 
people  who  had  rejected  Jesus  followed  the  mad  leadership 
of  these  Zealots,  and  Jerusalem  went  down  in  a  terrible 
struggle  where  the  city  sujffered  as  much  from  the  folly 
and  strife  within  her  walls  as  from  the  awful  vengeance 
of  Home.  The  question  that  Jesus  faced  was  not  that  of 
his  own  thought  about  the  Kingdom,  He  could  have  no 
sympathy  with  such  ideas  as  these.  But  what  was  he  to  do 
over  against  such  a  people?  Under  such  conditions,  how 
was  he  to  begin  his  work  and  lead  it  to  success  ? 

His  Conflict  with  Evil 

The  Inner  Struggle  Depicted. — The  story  of  this  struggle 
is  given  to  us  in  that  picture  form  which  is  used  through- 


CHOOSING  THE  WAY  53 

out  the  Bible  to  set  forth  spiritual  realities.  The  devil 
appears  to  Jesus  and  bids  him  turn  stones  to  bread.  He 
carries  him  to  a  pinnacle  of  the  temple  and  tells  him  to  cast 
himself  down.  He  takes  him  to  the  summit  of  a  mountain 
and  bids  Jesus  worship  him.  To  literalize  all  this  is  to 
miss  the  real  meaning  of  this  wonderful  story.  How  could 
Satan  carry  Jesus  hither  and  yon,  or  how  could  Jesus  suffer 
this  ?  And  how  could  any  real  temptation  come  from  any 
Satan  that  appeared  in  body?  As  a  matter  of  fact,  Jesus 
is  setting  forth  a  great  inner  struggle  in  this  picture  form. 
In  the  same  way  we  hear  him  say  to  Peter  later,  "Get  thee 
behind  me,  Satan";  and  to  his  disciples,  returning  from 
their  victorious  mission,  "I  beheld  Satan  fallen  as  light- 
ning from  heaven." 

The  First  Question :  How  Make  Himself  Known  ? — The 
story  of  the  temptation  reveals  the  three  questions  that 
occupied  the  mind  of  Jesus  during  this  time.  The  first 
question  was  how  should  he  make  himself  known  to  the 
people  as  Messiah?  how  persuade  the  people  that  this  un- 
known young  man  was  the  long-awaited  deliverer?  They 
would  look  for  some  wonder  at  his  hand.  To  go  to  Jeru- 
salem, when  the  multitudes  were  present  at  some  feast, 
to  cast  himself  down  unhurt  from  one  of  its  lofty  pinnacles 
before  their  eyes,  would  not  that  establish  him  at  once? 
Was  it  not  written  in  the  Scriptures, 

"He  will  give  his  angels  charge  over  thee. 
To  keep  thee  in  all  thy  ways. 
They  shall  bear  thee  up  in  their  hands, 
Lest  thou  dash  thy  foot  against  a  stone"? 

(Psa.  91.  11,  12.) 

If  he  was  the  Messiah,  God's  Son,  then  he  had  nothing  to 
fear  from  such  a  deed. 

Jesus'  Answer. — Here  in  the  very  first  temptation  the 
whole  question  of  his  work  was  involved.  Jesus'  clear 
spiritual  vision  saw  through  these  specious  suggestions, 
and  he  knew  that  they  came  from  the  Evil  One.  As  to  the 
success  of  such  a  plan,  no  doubt  it  would  win  him  a  fol- 
lowing at  once;  the  people  were  waiting  for  some  such 


54  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

wonder-worker  who  might  do  the  impossible  thing  and 
overthrow  Eome.  But  such  following  would  be  merely 
outward ;  it  would  hinder  his  real  work  rather  than  help  it. 
Beyond  this  lay  the  deeper  question :  Was  it  right  toward 
his  Father  ?  It  might  seem  at  first  like  a  great  act  of  faith, 
thus  to  throw  himself  upon  God ;  it  was,  in  fact,  a  tempting 
of  God,  an  effort  to  force  him  instead  of  trusting  in  him. 
And  Jesus  remembered  the  word :  "Thou  shalt  not  make 
trial  of  the  Lord  thy  God"  (Deut.  6.  16). 

How  Establish  the  Kingdom  ? — Close  upon  this  followed 
the  other  question :  How  should  he  establish  his  kingdom  ? 
He  knew  that  the  Kingdom  was  to  be  one  of  righteousness, 
and  not  of  earthly  power.  And  yet  if  he  was  to  accomplish 
anything  at  all,  must  he  not  ally  himself  with  those  who 
held  the  places  of  power  in  the  nation?  How  could  he 
hope  to  do  anything  if  the  leaders  of  the  people  were 
against  him?  It  was  true  these  leaders  did  not  share  his 
vision ;  they  were  earthly  in  their  hopes  and  selfish  in  their 
plans.  But  why  not  make  some  concession  at  the  start, 
and  then  teach  them  the  higher  truth  later?  Why  not 
accept  the  kingdoms  of  the  world  now,  and  then  set  up 
the  kingdom  of  righteousness  ?  With  the  same  clear  vision 
Jesus  perceived  that  this  was  the  prince  of  this  world  trying 
to  lead  him  astray.  To  follow  such  a  plan  was  to  trust 
something  besides  God.  "Thou  shalt  worship  the  Lord  thy 
God,"  was  his  answer  (Deut.  6.  13). 

Shall  He  Save  Himself? — These  questions  were  not  the 
matter  of  a  moment.  With  other  like  thoughts  they  must 
have  occupied  the  mind  of  Jesus  throughout  these  days. 
Absorbed  with  them,  he  had  taken  little  thought  of  food, 
and  at  the  close  he  found  himself  weak  with  hunger.  Thus 
the  last  temptation  came.  He  had  been  conscious  since 
his  baptism  of  a  new  power.  Now  was  his  hour  of  need, 
why  not  use  this  power  to  save  himself?  Why  not  turn 
some  of  these  stones  to  bread  ?  Was  not  the  Messiah  neces- 
sary to  the  Kingdom?  Must  he  not  save  himself  if  he  was 
to  save  men  ?  To  these  suggestions  of  doubt  and  evil  Jesus' 
answer  came  sure  and  clear.  Bread  is  not  all;  life  itself 
is  not  all;  obedience  to  the  will  of  God  is  a  man's  real 


CHOOSmG  THE  WAY  55 

life.  "Man  shall  not  live  by  bread  alone,  but  by  every 
word  that  proceedeth  out  of  the  mouth  of  God"  (Deut. 
8.  3). 

The  Meaning  of  His  Work 

The  Plan  of  Work. — These  were  not  the  last  temptations 
that  Jesus  had  to  meet.  The  same  questions  come  to  him 
again  and  again,  but  from  the  position  here  given  he  never 
wavers.  Here  at  the  beginning  he  decides  what  his  work 
is  to  be  and  how  it  shall  be  done.  (1)  He  will  gain  his 
followers  not  by  doing  wonders,  but  by  the  quiet  work  of 
teaching  that  shall  win  men's  hearts  and  minds.  To  that 
end  we  see  him  sometimes  refusing  to  work  miracles,  again 
bidding  men  be  silent  about  his  deeds  of  healing,  and  him- 
self making  no  public  declaration  of  his  Messiahship  until 
toward  the  end  of  his  life.  (2)  He  will  not  seek  for  any 
external  power.  He  does  not  ask  for  any  of  the  kingdoms 
of  the  world,  and  he  will  make  no  compromise  to  gain  the 
support  of  those  who  are  in  positions  of  power.  (3)  He 
will  avoid  no  danger  for  himself  that  comes  in  the  way  of 
his  work,  and  he  will  use  no  power  to  save  himself.  His 
one  concern  will  be  to  do  his  Father's  will ;  what  comes  of 
this  he  will  leave  with  his  Father. 

The  Way  of  the  Cross. — Did  Jesus  know  at  this  time 
that  the  death  of  the  cross  was  to  cut  short  his  work  after 
but  a  little  while?  What  he  thought  about  his  death  at 
this  time  we  do  not  know;  what  he  said  later  of  another 
matter  probably  applies  here :  "No  man  knoweth,  not  even 
the  Son."  But  whether  he  saw  the  end  yet  or  not,  he  had 
already  chosen  the  way.  The  way  was  to  be  that  of  service 
in  absolute  obedience  to  the  Father  and  in  perfect  trust, 
no  matter  what  the  cost  to  him  might  be. 

"Three  things  are  made  clear  by  this  story:  (1)  the 
spiritual  insight  of  Jesus.  How  clearly  he  sees  the  princi- 
ple at  stake !  What  all  other  men  are  saying  does  not  con- 
fuse him  or  lead  him  astray.  (2)  The  moral  victory  of 
Jesus.  Whatever  powers  may  oppose  him,  whatever  danger 
or  apparent  defeat  may  threaten,  he  trusts  only  in  God 
and  will  obey  him  alone.     (3)   The  human  life  of  Jesus. 


5©  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

He  is  victorious  in  temptation,  but  he  is  not  untempted." 
In  this  bit  of  autobiography  Jesus  revealed  to  his  disciples 
his  own  conflict  and  the  secret  of  his  life.  To  the  student 
of  that  life  it  is  a  key  to  all  that  followed.  To  the  Chris- 
tian disciple  it  is  a  story  that  is  beyond  price,  bringing  his 
Master  near  to  him  in  human  need,  and  pointing  the  way 
of  victory  for  all  that  will  follow. 

Directions  for  Study 

Read  Matthew  4.  1-11. 

Review  rapidly  the  main  points  in  the  last  two  lessons.  In 
imagination  follow  Jesus  from  the  time  he  hears  the  news 
of  John's  preaching.  Consider  the  deep  impression  made  by 
John's  message,  and  what  Jesus  appreciated  in  that  message; 
the  effect  upon  Jesus  when  he  saw  the  response  of  the  people 
to  John;  the  revelation  to  Jesus  of  his  own  calling  as  the 
Messiah;   and  the  baptism  of  the  Spirit. 

As  you  study  each  temptation,  ask  what  this  meant  in 
relation  to  Jesus'  work  and  how  it  became  a  real  temptation 
to  him. 

Note  the  three  principles  of  Jesus'  work  suggested  above, 
and  illustrate  them  from  later  events  in  his  life. 

Set  forth  the  character  of  Jesus  as  revealed  in  this  story. 


CHAPTEE   VII 

BEGINNING  HIS  WORK 

After  our  study  of  the  temptation  we  can  understand 
the  way  in  which  Jesus  began  his  work.  His  whole  mind 
was  filled  with  the  thought  of  God.  That  living,  lov- 
ing God  he  saw  in  all  the  glorious  history  of  the  past,  in 
all  the  world  of  men  and  nature  about  him ;  but  above  all, 
he  knew  him  in  his  own  heart.  It  was  this  thought  of 
God,  his  Father,  that  determined  all  else  for  Jesus.  It 
determined  his  idea  of  the  Kingdom  and  delivered  him 
from  all  the  external  and  selfish  conceptions  of  the  people 
round  about  him.  They  dreamed  of  a  Messiah  working 
wonders  and  overthrowing  their  foes.  He  faced  that  ex- 
pectation in  the  wilderness  days  and  definitely  broke  with 
it.  The  kingdom  of  God,  the  rule  of  his  Father,  must  be 
first  of  all  love  and  peace,  righteousness  and  good  will, 
the  reign  of  a  new  spirit  among  men. 

Jesus  the  Teacher 

Simply  and  quietly,  Jesus  begins  his  work  as  a  wander- 
ing preacher  and  teacher.  He  does  not  set  up  his  standard 
at  some  one  place,  as  John  did,  and  gather  the  throngs 
about  him ;  indeed,  he  goes  away  from  the  multitudes  again 
and  again.  He  goes  everywhere  and  speaks  to  folks  as  he 
meets  them,  by  the  wayside,  in  the  market  place,  at  the  sea- 
shore, in  the  home,  at  the  place  of  toll,  and  on  the  Sabbath 
in  the  synagogue.  Such  a  life  in  itself  would  occasion 
no  comment;  the  people  were  used  to  such  preachers  at 
this  time,  wandering  rabbis  and  others.  Nor  was  it  unusual 
for  such  men  to  have  their  little  company  of  followers, 
as  Jesus  did. 

57 


68  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

His  Purpose. — The  purpose  of  Jesus  in  all  this  is  clear. 
As  Messiah  he  could  not,  of  course,  always  remain  hidden ; 
some  time  the  Messiah  was  to  stand  forth  before  all  as 
the  Anointed  One ;  he  was  to  rule.  As  he  told  his  disciples 
later,  Jesus  did  not  know  just  when  this  was  to  be,  nor 
does  he  seem  to  have  known  under  just  what  circumstances 
his  reign  should  come;  he  was  content  to  leave  all  that 
to  his  Father.  But  he  did  know  one  thing :  that  the  people 
were  not  ready  either  for  the  Kingdom  or  the  declaration 
of  his  Messiahship.  The  Zealots  would  have  said,  "Arise 
against  Eome,  and  Jehovah  will  come  for  deliverance." 
The  Pharisees  would  have  said,  "Wait  in  quiet,  and  Jehovah 
will  come  in  good  time  and  work  his  wonder."  Jesus  does 
neither  of  these  things.  He  goes  forth  to  prepare  the  peo- 
ple by  his  teaching.  God  must  have  a  humble,  penitent 
folk,  showing  his  spirit  of  love  in  their  life  with  men. 

Where  His  Work  Began 

In  Judaea. — The  fourth  Gospel  gives  us  an  interesting 
and  vivid  picture  of  the  simple  beginning  of  Jesus'  work. 
If  we  had  only  our  first  three  Gospels,  it  would  appear  that 
Jesus  met  Peter  and  James  and  John  and  Andrew  almost 
by  chance  and  summoned  them  at  first  sight  to  be  his 
special  companions.  John's  Gospel  makes  this  clear  by 
giving  us  an  earlier  chapter.  Jesus  had  come  to  know 
all  these  men  except  James  in  the  company  of  John  the 
Baptist,  and  with  them  Philip  and  Nathanael.  He  had 
learned  to  appreciate  their  spirit  there  in  the  south  and 
had  probably  planned  to  meet  them  again  in  Galilee. 

He  Turns  to  Galilee. — But  any  work  that  Jesus  may  have 
done  in  Judaa  was  incidental.  His  real  public  work,  ac- 
cording to  Mark,  did  not  begin  till  after  the  death  of  John 
the  Baptist,  and  then  he  decided  to  commence  it  in  Galilee. 
It  is  significant  that  these  men  whom  he  won  in  the  south 
were  themselves  Galilaeans,  as  he  was.  He  knew  these 
Galilaeans.  They  were  looked  down  upon  with  good- 
natured  contempt  by  the  men  of  Jerusalem,  who  could 
easily  identify  them  at  the  feast  by  their  uncouth  accent 


BEGINNING  HIS  WORK  59 

(Matt.  26.  73).  But  Galilee  had  none  of  the  priests  of 
Jerusalem  and  far  fewer  of  the  scribes  and  Pharisees,  and 
her  spirit  was  much  more  open  and  free  than  that  of 
Judaea. 

The  Province  and  the  Lake. — No  place  except  the  city 
of  his  death  so  appeals  to  the  follower  of  Christ  as  Galilee. 
Here  was  the  home  of  his  boyhood  and  the  scene  of  by  far 
the  larger  part  of  his  ministry.  Here  he  called  his  fol- 
lowers, the  men  through  whom  his  word  and  his  life  have 
come  down  to  us.  Here  were  the  cities  that  saw  his  mighty 
works.  These  shores  echoed  his  voice.  It  was  Galilee's 
fair  flowers  whose  beauty  he  praised,  and  her  singing  birds 
which  revealed  to  him  the  Father's  care.  Her  fertile  fields 
were  far  different  from  the  rough  hillsides  of  Judaea.  And 
nowhere  else  was  such  a  lake  as  Galilee!  Thirteen  miles 
long  and  some  seven  miles  in  its  greatest  width,  its  smil- 
ing surface  mirrored  innumerable  boats  and  its  waters  were 
full  of  fish.  Eound  about  it  lay  the  cities  that  we  know 
so  well.  Beginning  at  the  north  and  passing  west  and 
south  were  Bethsaida,  Chorazin,  Capernaum,  Magdala, 
Tiberias,  besides  others  not  mentioned  in  Gospel  pages. 
Across  the  lake  lay  Gamala  and  the  city  of  the  Gergesenes. 
Galilee  teemed  with  people,  even  if  we  discount  Josephus, 
who  declares  that  it  had  two  hundred  and  four  cities  and 
villages,  the  least  of  which  had  fifteen  thousand  inhabitants. 
Add  to  this  the  fact  that  it  was  covered  with  a  network  of 
splendid  roads,  and  we  can  easily  understand  the  quick 
gathering  of  the  multitudes  to  which  the  Gospels  so  often 
refer.  The  lake  itself  bore  various  names,  Galilee  from  the 
province,  Gennesaret  from  the  fertile  plain  lying  on  the 
west,  and  Tiberias  from  the  like-named  city. 

At  Capernaum 

The  Call  of  the  Four. — Coming  from  the  south  toward 
Galilee,  the  road  which  Jesus  followed  touched  the  lake 
at  its  southern  point  and  thence  moved  northward  along 
its  western  shore.  Capernaum  lay  well  toward  the  end  of 
this  coast  road,  and  as  Jesus  drew  near  to  this  city  he 


60  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

recognized  Peter  and  Andrew  down  at  the  shore  busy  with 
their  work  as  fishermen.  They  had  talked  over  the  matters 
of  the  coming  kingdom  before;  now  it  was  time  to  act. 
"Come  after  me/'  Jesus  called  to  them ;  "I  will  make  you 
fishers  of  men,"  Farther  on  was  the  other  pair  of  brothers, 
James  and  John,  and  the  same  call  went  to  them.  And 
so  the  little  company  entered  Capernaum. 

The  Draft  of  Fishes. — The  great  catch  of  fish,  which 
Luke  narrates,  may  have  occurred  on  the  same  day  before 
Simon  Peter  and  his  brother  left  their  nets  to  follow  him. 
Near  the  populous  city,  it  was  easy  for  a  crowd  to  gather 
quickly,  people  who  would  listen  to  his  burning  words 
about  the  coming  Kingdom  as  he  was  speaking  to  his 
friends,  and  whom  he  would  be  very  ready  to  include  in 
his  message.  As  the  crowd  grows,  Jesus  at  length  steps 
into  Peter's  boat,  that  he  may  more  easily  address  them. 
Then  comes  the  wonderful  draft  of  fishes  at  the  close.  It 
is  idle  to  discuss  whether  this  was  a  miracle  or  not.  Of 
one  miracle  here  we  are  sure :  that  was  the  character  of 
Jesus  itself.  Luke  says  Peter  was  amazed  at  the  draft  of 
fishes ;  was  he  not  more  amazed  at  the  man  whose  message 
he  had  heard  and  who  had  given  the  command  to  sink 
the  nets?  There  is  an  ancient  tradition  which  tells  how, 
long  years  later,  this  same  Peter  gave  to  the  young  man 
John  Mark  that  story  of  Jesus'  deeds  which  forms  our 
second  Gospel.  But  greater  than  any  word  or  deed  of 
Peter's  was  the  Master  himself.  On  that  day  Peter 
took  the  first  of  those  lessons  in  the  appreciation  of  his 
Lord  which  culminated  in  his  confession  at  Caesarea 
Philippi. 

Worship  in  the  Synagogue. — In  the  city  the  little  com- 
pany seems  to  have  gone  to  Peter's  home.  On  the  follow- 
ing Sabbath  day  Jesus  went,  as  a  matter  of  course,  to  the 
synagogue  service.  As  we  have  already  noted,  the  syna- 
gogue was  the  great  institution  of  Jewish  life  and  the  Sab- 
bath worship  was  its  central  interest.  We  know  what  the 
main  features  of  that  worship  were  at  this  time.  There 
was  the  recitation  of  the  Schema,  so  called  from  its  open- 
ing word  and  composed  of  the  passages  Deuteronomy  6. 


BEGINNING  HIS  WORK  61 

4-9;  11.  13-21;  Numbers  15.  37-41.  There  was  a  prayer, 
probably  of  a  fixed  form.  There  was  a  lesson  read  from 
the  Law  and  one  from  the  Prophets,  with  the  priestly 
benediction.  In  Palestine,  at  least,  the  lessons  were  read 
in  Hebrew,  then  practically  a  dead  language,  and  trans- 
lated for  the  people  into  their  common  Aramaic  speech. 
The  central  interest  was  apparently  the  sermon  or  address 
in  which  the  lessons  were  explained. 

A  Democratic  Service. — It  was  a  democratic  service,  such 
as  was  to  be  found  nowhere  else  until  it  reappeared  in 
the  early  Christian  Church.  The  Jewish  community  and 
the  synagogue  were  under  the  control  of  elders,  and  there 
was  a  chief  ruler  of  the  synagogue  (see  Mark  5.  22)  who 
had  general  direction  of  the  service ;  but  the  worship  itself 
was  not  conducted  by  him  nor  by  any  regular  official,  either 
priest  or  minister.  The  ruler  simply  chose  from  out  of 
the  congregation  the  one  best  fitted  to  perform  this  service. 
It  was  thus  that  Jesus  came  to  be  called  upon  that  day, 
as  Paul  so  often  was  later  on.  The  emphasis  of  the  service, 
however,  was  not  upon  the  worship,  but  the  instruction, 
especially  in  the  Law.  On  another  occasion  we  have  the 
report  of  an  address  which  Jesus  gave  in  the  Nazareth 
synagogue,  and  we  know  the  passage  from  the  Prophets 
which  he  read  on  that  day.  The  "minister"  mentioned 
in  that  instance  (Luke  4.  20,  Authorized  Version)  was 
not  a  minister  in  our  sense  of  the  term,  but  the  sexton  who 
had  charge  of  the  precious  rolls  of  the  Law,  and  who  was 
sometimes  the  teacher  of  the  little  children  as  well. 

The  Peeaching  of  Jesus 

Not  As  the  Scribes. — What  Jesus  said  on  this  first  Sab- 
bath at  Capernaum  we  do  not  know,  but  Mark  tells  us  what 
was  the  chief  impression  that  he  made :  "He  taught  them 
as  having  authority,  and  not  as  the  scribes.-'*  The  differ- 
ence between  Jesus  and  the  scribes  was  not  in  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  Scriptures.  It  is  true  that  the  scribes  gave 
a  lifetime  to  their  study ;  but  we  know  how  Jesus  pondered 
them,  and  how  he  met  the  scribes  later  on  and  worsted 


63  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

them  with  these  their  own  weapons.  The  difference, 
ratlier,  was  this:  they  used  authorities^  he  spoke  with 
autlioritij.  Their  method  was  simply  an  endless  dreary 
repetition  of  what  had  been  said  by  other  scribes  in  the 
past.  Men  could  give  a  scribe  no  higher  praise  than  to 
declare  that  he  never  said  anything  but  what  his  teacher 
had  spoken.  The  ideal  pupil  was  compared  to  a  well- 
plastered  cistern,  that  let  not  a  drop  escape.  If  they  were 
cisterns,  Jesus  was  like  a  fountain.  Fresh  from  his  own 
soul  the  living  waters  poured.  They  could  speak  merely 
out  of  a  dead  past,  telling  what  others  had  said ;  he  poured 
forth  the  treasures  of  a  living  experience  of  his  own. 
They  had  only  endless  laws  and  rules;  he  stirred  men's 
hearts  with  the  thought  of  that  living  and  loving  Presence 
who  filled  his  own  life.  Eeligion  for  him  was  a  living 
present  power;  for  them  it  was  a  tradition. 

His  Message. — But  there  was  more  in  the  power  of  Jesus 
than  the  fact  that  he  spoke  directly  from  his  own  experi- 
ence. He  had  a  great  message  and  a  great  purpose.  We 
can  see  these  in  the  first  petition  of  the  prayer  that  he 
taught  his  disciples :  "Father,  hallowed  be  thy  name.  Thy 
kingdom  come.'"  Here  are  the  message  and  the  purpose; 
God  and  the  coming  Kingdom.  We  speak  these  words  so 
often  and  think  so  little  of  what  they  mean;  but  Jesus' 
heart  was  filled  and  stirred  by  them,  and  that  burning 
heart  set  fire  to  others.  Men  knew  so  little  of  this  God 
who  was  all  his  life,  and  men  were  so  far  from  ready  for 
his  coming  reign.  He  must  show  them  God,  and  he  must 
make  them  ready.  That  great  purpose  lay  back  of  this 
work  of  teaching.  So  Jesus  becomes  the  Teacher.  How 
patiently,  how  constantly,  he  pursues  that  work,  whether 
he  has  before  him  the  multitude  on  the  mountainside  or 
one  poor  woman  at  the  well !  And  he  follows  this  method 
to  the  end.  When  the  fickle  multitudes  turn  away,  he 
centers  upon  his  disciples.  When  he  must  leave  the  north, 
he  turns  to  Jerusalem.  His  last  days  find  him  still  preach- 
ing, still  warning  and  appealing,  though  he  knows  with 
what  little  promise  of  success :  0  Jerusalem,  Jerusalem ! 
If  thou  hadst  known ! 


BEGINNING  HIS  WORK  63 

Directions  fob  Study 

Read  John  1.  35-51;  Mark  1.  14-22;  Luke  5.  1-11. 

Review  briefly  the  last  three  lessons  and  try  to  realize  the 
situation:  the  nation  stirred  by  John,  Jesus'  visit  to  John 
and  his  call,  Jesus  facing  the  question  of  his  lifework.  Try 
to  understand  the  problem  that  Jesus  faced  as  to  how  he 
should  begin  his  work. 

Study  the  passages  from  John  and  Mark  together.  Note 
that  Jesus  is  using  at  the  very  beginning  his  first  great 
method:  to  win  individual  men  and  work  through  them.  It 
is  a  very  simple  beginning,  but  consider  what  these  men  meant 
later  on  for  the  church  and  the  Kingdom. 

In  connection  with  Luke  5.  3  and  Mark  1.  21,  22,  consider 
Jesus'  second  great  method,  that  of  teaching.  Run  over 
hastily  the  outline  of  Jesus'  life  and  see  how  much  of  it  is 
taken  up  with  teaching,  and  how  this  work  continues  to  the 
very  end. 

Make  a  list  of  the  different  places  and  conditions  in  which 
Jesus  taught;  of  his  different  classes  of  hearers. 

What  are  the  chief  qualities  in  his  teaching? 


CHAPTER   VIII 
JESUS'  MINISTRY  TO  THE  SICK 

The  humanness  of  Jesus  is  one  of  the  striking  facts  that 
stand  out  in  the  gospel  story.  He  was  a  teacher  as  were 
the  rabbis ;  he  was  a  preacher  as  was  John  the  Baptist.  And 
yet  how  diiferent  he  was !  There  was  a  difference  in  his 
message,  as  we  shall  see,  but  an  even  greater  difference 
in  his  life.  The  contrast  with  John  the  Baptist  Jesus  him- 
self pointed  out:  ''John  ...  is  come  eating  no  bread 
nor  drinking  wine;  and  ye  say,  He  hath  a  demon.  The 
Son  of  man  is  come  eating  and  drinking;  and  ye  say.  Be- 
hold, a  gluttonous  man,  and  a  winebibber,  a  friend  of  pub- 
licans and  sinners !"  John  lived  apart ;  Jesus  lived  with 
men  and  entered  into  every  part  of  their  life.  He  wept 
where  men  sorrowed.  He  shared  in  the  joy  of  the  wedding 
feast.  He  lived  with  the  poor  and  took  their  humble  fare ; 
but  he  did  not  hesitate  to  accept  the  hospitality  of  the  rich. 
He  ate  with  Simon  the  Pharisee,  a  church  pillar;  but  he 
accepted  also  a  dinner  given  in  his  honor  by  one  whom 
church  and  society  both  scorned,  the  taxgatherer  Levi. 

Two  facts  help  to  explain  this  life  of  Jesus.  (1)  He 
was  not  afraid  of  the  world.  It  was  God's  world;  he  did 
not  have  to  run  away  from  it  to  find  God.  (2)  He  loved 
men.  Their  joys,  their  sorrows,  their  needs  were  all  dear 
to  him.  The  service  of  men  was  a  passion  with  him,  not 
a  mere  duty.  All  this  we  shall  see  as  we  study  in  the  fol- 
lowing chapters  his  ministry  to  the  sick,  his  ministry  to 
the  sinful,  and  his  life  with  his  friends. 

The  Life  of  Service 

The  Messiah  as  Servant. — The  personal  service  which 
Jesus  gave  was  not  a  mere  incident  in  his  life ;  he  accounted 
it  his  business.    Here  again  we  see  how  deep  the  gulf  was 

64 


JESUS'  MINISTRY  TO  THE  SICK  65 

between  Jesus'  thought  and  that  of  the  people.  They 
thought  that  the  Messiah  would  come  to  rule,  making 
others  serve  him.  Jesus  knew  that  he  was  come  to  serve, 
to  minister  to  others.  Eecall  the  scene  in  the  synagogue 
at  Nazareth,  where  Jesus  stands  up  to  read  the  lesson  from 
Isaiah  (Luke  4.  16-21).  Those  beautiful  words  of  the 
prophet  he  took  as  a  program  for  his  own  life;  the  words 
were  fulfilled  that  day  in  him.  We  get  the  echo  of  these 
same  words  in  the  message  that  he  sends  to  John,  when  he 
speaks  of  the  blind  that  see  and  the  poor  that  have  good 
tidings  preached  to  them  (Luke  7.  18-23).  When  the  evan- 
gelists sum  up  his  ministry,  they  point  to  the  same  life 
of  service :  "And  Jesus  went  about  all  the  cities  and  villages, 
teaching  in  their  synagogues,  and  preaching  the  gospel  of 
the  kingdom,  and  healing  all  manner  of  disease  and  all 
manner  of  sickness.  But  when  he  saw  the  multitudes,  he 
was  moved  with  compassion  for  them,  because  they  were 
distressed  and  scattered  as  sheep  not  having  a  shepherd" 
(Matt.  9.  35,  36). 

A  Ministry  to  All  Need. — One  other  fact  is  to  be  pointed 
out  as  to  this  life  of  service:  it  was  a  ministry  to  the 
whole  life  of  man.  Jesus  never  separated  the  spiritual  from 
the  material;  he  was  not  come  simply  to  serve  the  souls 
of  men.  Life  is  one  and  men  are  not  to  be  saved  piece- 
meal. He  fed  the  multitudes  to  whom  he  had  preached, 
he  comforted  the  sorrowing,  he  healed  the  sick,  he  stopped 
to  bless  the  little  children.  No  wonder  that  all  who  were 
in  need  flocked  to  him.  The  gospel  pages  are  full  of  these 
poor  folks :  publicans  and  harlots,  the  wretched  poor, 
parents  in  distress  for  their  children,  the  blind,  lame, 
paralytic,  epileptic,  insane. 

Jesus  and  the  Sick 

The  Sick  in  Jesus'  Day. — Among  all  these  needy  ones  the 
sick  in  body  and  mind  stand  out  first.  There  is  sickness 
enough  in  our  own  day.  Of  late  we  have  been  learning 
that,  despite  our  progress,  scores  of  thousands  of  lives  are 
needlessly  lost  each  year  and  many  millions  of  dollars  of 


G6  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

loss  are  represented  in  needless  disease.  And  yet  ours  is 
like  another  world  compared  with  that  day.  Men  knew 
nothing  of  sanitation  or  medical  science.  The  hot  climate 
and  the  lack  of  cleanliness  made  diseases  of  the  eyes  espe- 
cially common.  Equally  common  were  the  mental  and 
nervous  diseases,  insanity,  epilepsy,  and  melancholia.  And 
there  was  little  help  for  all  such.  There  were  many  who 
could  say  with  the  poor  woman  (Mark  5,  25)  that  they 
had  suffered  many  things  of  many  physicians,  and  had 
spent  all  that  they  had,  and  were  nothing  bettered,  but, 
rather,  grew  worse.  The  healers  of  that  day  joined  physical 
and  spiritual  means  together;  but  the  physical  was  mostly 
quackery  and  the  spiritual  was  superstitious  incantation. 
It  was  this  mass  of  unrelieved  suffering  that  touched  Jesus. 
The  Demoniacs. — Jesus  seems  to  have  been  especially 
moved  by  the  plight  of  the  demoniacs,  those  men  who  felt 
themselves  possessed  with  evil  spirits,  such  as  the  one  whom 
he  met  that  first  Sabbath  in  the  Capernaum  synagogue. 
The  matter  of  demon  possession  is  beset  with  great  diffi- 
culties, and  men  have  differed  in  interpreting  these  in- 
cidents. The  Jews  of  that  time  shared  in  the  ideas  re- 
garding evil  spirits  that  were  common  in  the  Orient  of 
that  day.  Where  we  seek  for  natural  causes,  they  often 
sought  an  explanation  in  spirits.  This  was  especially  true 
of  mental  or  nervous  diseases  like  insanity  and  epilepsy, 
where  it  seemed  that  another  spirit  had  entered  into  the 
sufferer.  Mark  5.  2-5  seems  to  show  a  case  of  insanity, 
and  Mark  9.  18  one  of  epilepsy.  Some  cases,  no  doubt, 
were  those  of  serious  moral  lapse,  where  a  man  had  been 
mastered  by  some  vice  or  evil  passion.  Such  an  instance 
Jesus  seems  to  have  had  in  mind  in  the  parable  of  j\Iatthew 
12.  43-45,  and  the  demoniac  at  Capernaum  may  have  been 
such  a  man.  But  aside  from  these  mental  and  moral  dis- 
orders, they  sought  for  the  cause  of  physical  ill  also  in 
evil  spirits.  This  was  especially  true  when  the  illness  was 
sudden,  or  with  some  stubborn  complaint  like  rheumatism ; 
in  other  words,  when  the  usual  explanations  were  wanting. 
These  sufferers  liad  to  bear  not  only  physical  ill  but  super- 
stitious fear  as  well. 


JESUS'  MINISTRY  TO  THE  SICK  67 

The  Demoniac  of  Capernaum. — It  was  in  the  synagogue 
at  Capernaum  that  Jesus  had  his  first  encounter  with  one 
of  these  demoniacs.  In  this  case  apparently  the  "unclean 
spirit"  meant  the  bondage  of  an  evil  life.  The  searching 
words  of  Jesus  had  stirred  the  dormant  conscience,  and  the 
holy  presence  of  Jesus  had  done  even  more  than  his  words. 
Helpless  and  hopeless,  he  yet  protested  against  being  thus 
disturbed  in  his  old  life :  "What  have  we  to  do  with  thee, 
.  .  .  the  Holy  One  of  God  ?"  How  far  Jesus  shared  the 
common  view  of  his  day  as  to  evil  spirits  we  do  not  know. 
One  thing  is  clear:  he  had  none  of  the  superstitious  fear 
with  which  others  looked  upon  these  helpless  sufferers.  God 
was  greater  than  all  evil,  and  God  could  deliver  this  poor 
bound  child  of  his.  He  uses  no  magical  formulas  and 
passes,  such  as  the  scribes  employed.  In  simple  trust  in 
his  Father  he  charges  the  evil  spirit  to  depart,  and  the 
sufferer  stands  before  him  clean  and  whole  (Mark  1.  21- 
28). 

The  Healings  of  Jesus 

How  Jesus  Healed. — The  cure  of  the  demoniac  was  but 
the  beginning  of  a  great  ministry  of  healing.  Whatever 
the  evil  that  came  before  him,  Jesus  faced  it  with  the  same 
joyous  conviction  as  to  the  power  and  mercy  of  God;  he 
healed  the  lame  and  blind  just  as  he  forgave  men's  sins. 
How  did  he  do  it?  For  many  of  these  cases  we  have 
analogies  in  the  power  of  suggestion  as  used  even  to-day. 
There  are  others  that  cannot  be  accounted  for  in  any  such 
way.  Such  explanations  are  interesting,  but  not  neces- 
sarily final  for  Christian  faith.  If  we  believe  that  the  God 
of  mercy  and  power  was  present  in  Jesus  Christ  for  the 
salvation  of  the  world,  then  we  shall  not  wonder  at  any 
such  deed  of  power.  Jesus  himself  so  regarded  these  heal- 
ings as  the  deed  of  God.  "If  I  by  the  finger  of  God  cast 
out  demons,  then  is  the  kingdom  of  God  come  upon  you" 
(Luke  11.  20). 

The  Cost  of  Healing. — Two  further  facts  should  be  noted 
about  Jesus'  healings.  In  the  first  place,  it  was  no  mere 
word  lightly  spoken  by  which  Jesus  healed.     It  was  per- 


68  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

sonal  service  and  it  meant  a  personal  cost.  He  did  not  heal 
men  in  the  mass;  he  gave  special  attention  to  each.  It 
was  exhausting  labor;  it  demanded  his  thought,  his  faith, 
his  deepest  sympathies.  It  took  time,  keeping  him  from 
other  labors,  and  often  from  taking  needed  rest  and  food. 
He  did  not  think  of  it  simply  as  the  curing  of  a  disease, 
but  as  the  helping  and  saving  of  men.  In  the  second  place, 
such  healing  demanded  something  of  others  as  well;  it 
was  religious  healing.  Again  and  again  its  relation  to  faith 
is  brought  out.  "Thy  faith  hath  made  thee  whole,"  says 
Jesus  to  blind  Bartimseus  and  to  the  woman  with  the  issue 
of  blood.  Sometimes  he  asks  men  whether  they  have  faith 
(Matt.  9.  28).  Often  it  is  the  faith  of  another  that  is  in- 
volved. Again  it  is  said  significantly  that  he  cannot  do 
many  mighty  works  in  Nazareth  because  of  their  unbelief. 

The  Place  of  Healing  in  Jesus'  Work 

The  Healings  at  Capernaum. — This  ministry  of  healing 
seems  to  have  been  thrust  upon  Jesus  all  at  once  and  to 
its  full  extent  there  at  Capernaum.  After  the  synagogue 
service  he  goes  to  Peter's  house  and  heals  the  latter's 
mother-in-law.  Meanwhile  the  city  is  stirred  by  the  report 
of  his  teaching  and  the  healing  of  the  demoniac.  Im- 
patiently the  people  waited  for  the  close  of  the  Sabbath, 
which  came  with  the  sunset.  For  them  to  have  carried 
the  sick  to  Jesus  on  the  Sabbath,  or  for  him  to  have  touched 
them  with  his  hand  to  heal  them,  they  would  have  con- 
sidered a  breaking  of  the  law.  But  with  the  sunset  they 
began  to  come.  "And  all  the  city  was  gathered  together 
at  the  door.  And  he  healed  many  that  were  sick  with 
divers  diseases,  and  cast  out  many  demons."  And  with  the 
earliest  daylight  the  throngs  came  again  looking  for  Jesus. 

A  New  Danger  Faced  and  Conquered. — The  four  disci- 
ples were  stirred  with  joy  and  pride.  The  great  city  of 
Capernaum  was  turning  to  their  Master.  It  was  a  noble 
beginning  for  his  work.  To  Jesus  himself  this  success 
brought  very  different  feelings.  It  had  set  before  him  a 
problem  not  unlike  those  of  the  wilderness  days.    His  power 


JESUS'  MINISTRY  TO  THE  SICK  69 

of  healing  had  moved  all  the  people;  he  might  make  all 
Galilee  his  own  in  a  little  while.  But  was  he  not  in  danger 
of  gaining  the  kingdoms  of  the  world  and  losing  the  king- 
dom of  the  soul?  These  people  were  looking  for  signs 
and  wonders,  but  was  he  reaching  their  conscience  ?  Jesus 
had  one  way  of  meeting  these  questions:  that  of  medita- 
tion and  prayer.  While  darkness  still  lay  upon  the  city 
he  steals  out  to  a  desert  place  to  pray.  There,  at  length, 
the  disciples  find  him  as  they  come  with  their  eager 
message,  telling  of  the  crowds  that  are  looking  for  him. 
But  he  has  found  his  answer :  he  will  not  be  a  mere  wonder- 
worker or  healer.  His  first  business  must  be  to  prepare 
the  hearts  and  minds  of  men.  "Let  us  go  elsewhere  into 
the  next  tow^is,  that  I  may  preach  there  also;  for  to  this 
end  came  I  forth.''  He  continues  his  work  of  healing, 
his  heart  answers  as  before  to  the  suffering  about  him; 
but  he  keeps  his  task  of  preaching  first,  and  he  does  not 
want  men  to  follow  him  because  of  these  works.  He  heals 
the  leper,  moved  with  pity  for  him,  but  he  dismisses  him 
at  once  and  charges  him  sternly  to  speak  to  no  man  about 
it  (Mark  1.  40-45). 

Directions  fob  Study 

Read  Mark  1.  21-45;  Matthew  9.  35-38;  Luke  4.  16-21;  7.  18-23. 

Try  to  form  for  yourself  pictures  of  the  following,  using 
every  suggestion  which  these  passages  give:  (1)  the  sickness 
and  misery  of  that  time;  (2)  the  sympathy  and  pity  of  Jesus 
(collect  all  the  expressions  in  these  passages  which  refer  to 
this) ;  (3)  the  stir  made  by  these  healings  and  the  sudden 
fame  of  Jesus;  (4)  the  diflSculties  in  the  way  of  Jesus'  work 
caused  by  this  sudden  fame  and  by  the  throngs  curious  to 
see  wonders,  but  indifferent  to  his  message. 

Consider  all  the  passages  that  you  can  find  which  sug- 
gest the  bearing  of  faith  upon  these  healings.  As  to  the 
faith  of  others  than  the  one  healed,  note  Matthew  8.  13;  15. 
28;  Mark  5.  34,  36;  9.  23;  and  compare  John  11.  40. 

Make  at  least  a  partial  list  of  the  agencies  which  are  carry- 
ing on  this  work  of  help  and  healing  to-day.  Begin  in  your 
own  community  and  follow  it  out  till  you  reach  such  work 
as  that  of  mission  hospitals  or  the  Red  Cross  work.  How 
much  of  this  is  due  to  the  example  and  inspiration  of  Jesus? 
To  how  much  of  this  work  is  your  church  related  directly, 
or  through  its  members,  or  by  its  gifts? 


CHAPTER   IX 

THE  MINISTRY  TO  THE  SINFUL 

We  have  seen  that  Jesus  left  Capernaum  after  that  first 
memorable  Sabbath,  refusing  to  settle  down  as  a  healer 
and  wonder-worker.  Apparently  he  carried  out  his  plan 
and  made  a  preaching  trip  through  the  Galilaean  villages. 
All  we  know  definitely,  however,  is  what  Mark  tells  us, 
that  "he  entered  again  into  Capernaum  after  some  days." 
The  rumor  of  his  return  was  enough  to  bring  the  crowds 
together,  filling  not  only  the  house,  but  the  street  in  front. 
They  were  full  of  eager  interest.  What  new  signs  would 
he  do?  Whom  would  he  heal?  But  Jesus  had  a  deeper 
concern  than  even  his  sympathy  for  the  sick.  It  was  the 
sin  of  men  that  burdened  him,  the  loss  of  God  out  of  their 
lives.  In  a  striking  way  there  began  here  his  ministry  to 
the  sinful,  a  ministry  that  drew  no  crowds  like  his  healings, 
but  stirred  the  bitter  opposition  of  the  religious  leaders. 

Jesus  and  the  Sinneks 

The  Paralytic  Forgiven. — The  story  of  the  paralytic  is 
one  of  those  dramatic  incidents  which  delighted  us  as  chil- 
dren. This  man  was  poor  in  health,  but  rich  in  having 
four  good  friends.  These  had  no  sooner  heard  of  Jesus' 
return  than  they  determined  that  they  would  bring  the 
sick  man  to  him.  The  crowded  street  did  not  balk  them. 
The  Jewish  house  was  covered  with  a  flat  roof,  reached  by 
an  outer  stairway  and  a  common  place  of  resort  for  the 
family.  Thither  they  betook  themselves,  and  uncovered 
enough  of  the  roof  to  let  their  friend  down  into  the  room. 
It  was  just  such  faith  and  determination  that  Jesus  was 
looking  for,  and  he  responded  to  it  at  once.  He  had  been 
preaching  about  the  coming  Kingdom,  and  that  repentance 

70 


THE  MINISTRY  TO  THE  SINFUL  71 

and  faith  by  which  men  were  to  prepare  for  it.  What  he 
read  in  the  face  of  the  man  before  him  we  do  not  know,  but 
he  must  have  found  an  answer  to  his  message.  And  so  he 
offered  this  man  not  health  first  of  all,  but  a  greater  gift: 
"Son,  thy  sins  are  forgiven." 

His  words  must  have  been  a  surprise  to  his  hearers.  To 
certain  scribes  that  were  present  they  were  more  than  this : 
they  were  blasphemy.  Who  could  forgive  sins  except  God  ? 
Jesus  does  not  stop  to  explain  his  religion  of  mercy.  He 
answers  by  a  deed  which  shows  that  God  is  with  him;  he 
has  given  the  greater  gift  of  forgiveness,  now  he  bestows 
the  lesser  and  bids  the  man  rise  and  walk. 

The  Ministry  of  Forgiveness. — So  Jesus  begins,  accord- 
ing to  Mark,  his  ministry  of  forgiveness.  If  the  ministry 
to  the  sick  occupied  a  great  place  in  Jesus'  life,  this  was 
even  greater,  and,  indeed,  was  the  very  heart  of  his  ministry 
and  message.  The  sinners  came  flocking  to  him  as  they 
had  to  John,  but  from  him  they  gained  a  message  of  hope 
and  inspiration  such  as  John  could  not  give.  Some  of 
Jesus'  most  beautiful  words  are  freighted  with  this  theme, 
such  as  the  parables  of  the  lost  coin,  the  lost  sheep,  and  the 
lost  son.  No  need  of  men  moved  Jesus  so  deeply  as  this. 
No  part  of  his  ministry  is  so  characteristic  as  this.  It  was 
his  association  with  these  "sinners"  that  showed  how  deep 
was  the  gulf  that  separated  Jesus  from  the  accepted  leaders 
of  the  people,  and  it  was  this,  more  than  anything  else, 
that  brought  down  upon  him  the  enmity  of  these  scribes 
and  Pharisees. 

Who  Weee  the  "Sinners" 

The  Pharisaic  Idea  of  Religion. — In  order  to  understand 

this  ministry  of  Jesus  and  his  conflict  with  the  Pharisees, 
we  must  realize  what  the  men  of  his  day  meant  by  "sin- 
ners." We  may  put  the  difference  between  their  use  and 
ours  in  a  sentence;  for  us  the  word  has  a  moral  meaning, 
for  them  its  meaning  was  mainly  formal  or  ritual.  It  is 
one's  idea  of  religion  that  determines  one's  idea  of  sin. 
For  us  religion  is  something  spiritual  and  ethical,  a  right 
relation  to  God  and  a  right  life  flowing  from  this.    The 


72  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

Pharisees  too  laid  the  stress  upon  righteousness,  but  right- 
eousness with  them  was  mainly  something  formal  and 
ceremonial.  Eeligion  was  an  endless  set  of  rules,  whose 
chief  concern  was  not  what  was  just  and  loving  between 
man  and  man,  but  ceremonial  purity.  Holiness  was  not 
so  much  being  true  and  humble  before  God;  it  meant, 
rather,  keeping  "clean"  according  to  these  rules.  It  was 
largely  a  matter  of  separation,  something  formal  and  nega- 
tive. There  were  endless  things  to  be  avoided,  various 
kinds  of  food,  vessels,  places,  objects,  and  men;  and  there 
were  endless  forms  to  be  gone  through. 

The  "Sinners." — To  keep  all  these  rules  was  a  tremendous 
task,  and  for  many  people  impossible,  so  that  it  came  about 
that  great  masses  of  the  people  were  "sinners"  in  the  eyes 
of  these  leaders.  They  had  not  the  leisure  to  study  the  laws 
and  keep  the  rules,  or  else  they  did  not  have  the  means. 
For  the  average  poor  man  in  his  daily  work,  especially  in 
Galilee  where  there  were  so  many  Gentiles,  had  to  come 
into  contact  with  men  and  things  that  were  not  clean.  Such 
people  formed  the  bulk  of  the  "sinners"  who  meet  us  in 
the  Gospels,  They  were  called  "the  people  of  the  land," 
a  phrase  which  had  come  to  mean  nothing  but  contempt 
with  the  scribes.  We  catch  the  sneer  in  the  words  reported 
in  John  7.  49 :  "This  multitude  that  knoweth  not  the  law 
are  accursed."  Though  they  did  not  keep  the  law,  these 
people  shared  that  general  idea  of  religion  which  con- 
demned them.  They  felt  themselves  accursed,  without 
hope,  though  often  bitter  in  their  hatred  of  the  scribes.  To 
associate  with  such  people,  especially  at  table,  meant  to 
drop  to  their  level  of  defilement. 

The  Publicans. — There  were,  of  course,  sinners  of  an- 
other type  that  came  to  Jesus,  of  whom  the  harlots  and 
the  publicans  are  especially  mentioned.  The  publicans 
were  not  necessarily  immoral  men  in  the  common  sense, 
but  as  a  class  they  seem  to  have  deserved  the  ill  repute  in 
which  they  were  held  not  simply  in  Palestine,  but  through- 
out the  empire.  It  shows  how  they  were  estimated  that 
their  names  should  be  so  often  bracketed  with  the  harlots, 
even  by  Jesus  himself,  or  with  the  Gentiles.     There  was 


THE  MINISTRY  TO  THE  SINFUL  73 

special  reason  for  their  execration  in  Palestine,  at  least 
so  far  as  they  were  Jews,  for  here  they  seemed  like  traitors 
who  had  sold  themselves  for  a  reward  to  the  hated  enemy 
and  were  helping  Rome  to  oppress  their  own  people.  Such 
men  were  wholly  without  the  pale.  They  were  shunned  like 
a  pestilence  and  were  not  even  allowed  to  enter  the  syna- 
gogue. 

The  Meaning  of  This  Ministry 

Levi  and  His  Friends. — Now  we  can  understand  the 
meaning  of  the  incident  which  Mark  reports  as  following 
upon  the  healing  of  the  paralytic.  Capernaum  was  an  im- 
portant center  for  the  collection  of  taxes.  Here  was  taken 
the  toll  upon  all  goods  brought  into  Herod's  territory  from 
that  of  his  brother  Philip,  and  from  the  rich  Decapolis 
across  the  lake.  One  of  these  Jewish  renegades  by  the  name 
of  Levi  had  charge  of  the  Capernaum  customs  house, 
which  was  down  by  the  lakeside.  It  may  have  been  that  he 
had  heard  Jesus  speak  elsewhere.  In  any  case  Jesus  knew 
his  man,  and  when  he  passed  by  the  customs  house  and 
summoned  him,  Levi  left  his  business  at  once  and  followed 
him.  And  so  the  fifth  member  of  Jesus'  inner  circle  was 
a  despised  publican.  Apparently,  like  Simon,  he  received 
a  new  name,  and  was  known  thereafter  as  Matthew.  What 
followed  aroused  the  scribes  still  more.  Levi  seems  to  have 
become  a  missionary  at  once,  bearing  the  news  of  his  own 
discipleship  and  of  his  new  Master,  and  so  other  publicans 
and  sinners  began  to  follow  Jesus.  Jesus  not  only  preached 
to  these  men,  but  welcomed  them  personally,  and  finally, 
upon  invitation  of  Levi,  he  became  the  guest  of  honor  at 
a  supper  where  all  these  friends  were  present.  He  could 
have  done  nothing  that  would  have  shocked  more  the  reli- 
gious leaders  or  have  violated  more  flagrantly  the  religious 
standards.  At  no  place  were  the  rules  of  purity  so  strict 
as  in  matters  of  eating.  The  publicans,  of  course,  paid 
no  attention  to  these  rules,  and  he  who  sat  with  them  de- 
filed himself  and  made  himself  like  them.  The  action  of 
Jesus  was  a  definite  break  with  the  acknowledged  religious 
leaders  and  accepted  standards. 


74  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

The  Motive  of  Sympathy. — If  we  ask  for  the  meaning  of 
this  conduct  of  Jesus,  we  shall  find  two  answers.  In  the 
first  place,  it  was  because  Jesus  loved  men  and  counted  it 
his  mission  to  serve  them.  That  was  what  he  had  come  for, 
to  save  just  such  men  and  lead  them  to  the  true  life.  If 
the  sick  and  suffering  moved  him,  then  these  much  more. 
The  greatest  evil  was  not  the  loss  of  sight  and  hearing,  but 
the  loss  of  God  and  the  slavery  to  sin.  He  saw  these  poor 
folks  bound  by  sin,  blind  to  the  real  treasures  of  life,  the 
prey  of  fear,  anxious  about  food  and  drink.  They  were  the 
burdened  and  heavy-laden.  And  no  one  cared  for  them; 
they  were  as  sheep  having  no  shepherd.  And  so  we  have 
the  pity  of  Jesus  over  against  the  harsh  condemnation  of 
the  scribe. 

Jesus'  Idea  of  God. — But  there  is  another  reason  to  be 
given  for  this  difference  between  Jesus  and  the  scribes. 
It  was  not  simply  a  difference  in  spirit,  but  in  the  whole 
conception  of  God  and  of  religion.  For  the  scribes  God  was 
primarily  a  lawgiver  and  judge,  giving  men  rules  and  then 
condemning  or  rewarding.  Before  such  a  God  these  sinners 
stood  condemned  and  hopeless.  For  Jesus,  God  was  the 
Father,  not  blind  to  the  sin  of  his  children,  but  pitying 
them  and  yearning  over  them,  and  seeking  to  bring  every 
wayward  child  back  into  fellowship  with  himself.  When 
they  accused  him,  he  simply  showed  them  that  he  was  act- 
ing according  to  the  spirit  of  his  Father  (Luke  15).  Xo 
matter  how  foolish  and  sinful,  every  lost  child  is  precious 
to  God.  He  goes  out  to  look  for  them  and  all  heaven  re- 
joices when  one  is  brought  back  (Luke  15.  3-10).  No  mat- 
ter what  they  have  done,  God  waits  with  forgiveness  when 
his  sons  turn  back  (Luke  15.  11-32).  God  is  holy,  but  that 
does  not  mean  that  he  withdraws  himself  from  sinners,  but 
that  he  draws  them  to  him  in  love  and  mercy.  Holiness 
is  not  separation,  but  love. 

Of  Religion. — With  such  a  thought  of  God,  Jesus'  idea 
of  religion  was  naturally  different  from  that  of  the 
Pharisees  and  scribes.  It  is  what  we  think  of  God  that 
decides  our  idea  of  religion,  that  is,  our  idea  of  what  will 
please  God.     The  holiness  that  Jesus  believed  in  was  a 


THE  MINISTEY  TO  THE  SINFUL  75 

holiness  like  that  of  his  Father,  a  holiness  of  love  and 
mercy.  Such  a  holiness,  instead  of  separating  Jesus  from 
men,  drove  him  to  them.  Nothing  seemed  to  him  more 
according  to  his  Father's  will  than  to  go  to  such  sinners 
and  help  them.  And  so  he  made  answer  to  their  criticisms : 
God  wants  mercy,  not  sacrifices,  as  the  prophet  said  long 
ago.  It  is  the  sick  that  need  a  physician,  not  the  well. 
I  am  come  to  save  sinners,  not  to  serve  the  saints  (Mark 
2.  17). 

Two  Parables 

Two  Surprises. — Two  great  surprises  came  to  Jesus  in 
his  ministry.  One  was  the  attitude  of  the  leaders.  From 
the  worldly  Sadducean  party  he  had  not  expected  much; 
but  these  leaders,  the  scribes  and  Pharisees,  he  had  been 
taught  to  respect  from  his  youth.  Now  he  found  them 
blind  leaders  of  the  blind,  not  only  unwilling  to  enter  the 
Kingdom,  but  opposing  his  work  and  trying  to  keep  others 
out.  The  other  surprise  was  that  of  the  sinners.  They 
turned  to  him  just  as  they  had  to  John.  How  he  rejoices 
over  them !  The  humility,  the  penitence,  the  eager  earnest- 
ness which  he  missed  with  the  Pharisees,  he  found  in  them. 
It  was  these  publicans  and  harlots  and  despised  common 
people  that  were  pressing  into  the  Kingdom.  That  was 
one  of  the  wonders  of  God's  wisdom  and  mercy:  he  was 
hiding  these  things  from  the  wise  and  understanding  and 
revealing  them  unto  these  babes  (Matt.  11.  25). 

The  Two  Sons. — Two  parables  in  particular  express  the 
experience  of  Jesus  with  these  two  classes.  The  first  is 
that  of  the  two  sons  (Matt.  21.  28-32).  The  Pharisees 
were  the  pillars  of  orthodoxy  and  the  exemplars  of  piety, 
recognized  as  such  by  all.  With  their  much  religious  pro- 
fession, they  were  like  the  son  who  said,  "I  go,  sir,"  but 
went  not.  When  Jesus  came  with  God's  great  call  they 
were  disobedient.  The  publicans  and  harlots  had  not  been 
doing  God's  will;  they  were  like  the  second  son  who  had 
said,  "I  will  not."  But  in  the  end  they  repented  and  went. 
Thus  it  was  they  who  really  met  the  test  of  obedience, 
and  not  the  Pharisees. 


76  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

The  Messianic  Feast. — The  same  lesson  conies  in  the 
parable  of  the  Messianic  feast  (Luke  14.  15-24).  The  pic- 
ture of  a  feast  was  one  of  the  common  means  used  by  the 
Jews  to  set  forth  the  glories  of  the  Messianic  age,  for  which 
everyone  was  longing.  One  day  while  they  were  at  table, 
one  of  those  people  who  can  use  pious  phrases  easily  and 
without  meaning  called  out  to  Jesus,  ''Blessed  is  he  that 
shall  eat  bread  in  the  kingdom  of  God."  Yes,  said  Jesus, 
that  will  be  a  great  blessing,  and  you  all  believe  yourselves 
eager  for  it.  But  the  fact  is  that  you  are  refusing  this 
blessing  to-day  and  those  whom  you  despise  are  making 
ready  to  receive  it.  It  is  like  the  story  of  the  great  supper 
which  a  man  once  gave.  You  would  have  expected  every- 
one to  be  most  eager  to  come.  Instead,  those  who  were 
invited  found  excuses  for  staying  away,  and  in  the  end  the 
beggars  of  the  street  were  brought  in  to  eat  the  feast. 

Directions  fob  Study 

Briefly  review  the  events  in  Jesus'  life  since  he  answered 
the  summons  of  John's  preaching  and  went  to  the  Jordan. 

Read  carefully  the  Scripture  passages  for  this  chapter: 
Mark  2.  1-17;  Luke  15.  1,  2;  Matthew  21.  28-32;  Luke  14. 
15-24. 

Has  our  study  thus  far  shown  us  some  underlying  princi- 
ple determining  Jesus'  life?  Could  we  call  that  principle 
obedience  and  trust  in  relation  to  his  Father,  and  love  and 
service  in  relation  to  men?  Note  how  this  principle  of  serv- 
ice would  mean  first  preaching  (telling  the  good  news),  next 
healing,  and  finally  forgiving. 

With  pencil  and  paper  write  from  memory  as  long  a  list 
as  you  can  of  the  sinners  whom  Jesus  helped,  from  the 
paralytic  at  Capernaum  to  the  thief  on  the  cross. 

Give  a  definition  of  sin.     What  does  forgiveness  mean? 

The  third  Gospel  is  peculiarly  the  Gospel  of  mercy,  the 
Gospel  of  the  poor  and  the  sinful.  Make  a  list  of  the  passages 
peculiar  to  Luke  which  express  sympathy  with  the  poor, 
which  condemn  or  warn  the  rich,  which  record  deeds  of  mercy 
and  healing,  which  deal  with  sinners  and  their  forgiveness. 


CHAPTER   X 

THE  COMPANIONS  OF  JESUS 

So  far  we  have  been  considering  Jesus  by  himself,  but 
this  would  give  a  wrong  picture  of  his  life.  Nothing  is 
more  significant  of  Jesus'  life  than  that  company  of  friends 
and  followers  which  was  constantly  with  him.  Mark's 
first  picture  shows  us  Jesus  calling  the  four  to  himself  be- 
fore he  begins  preaching  or  healing.  Thereafter  we  never 
find  him  alone.  They  go  with  him  to  the  table  of  the  rich. 
On  the  lonely  ways  they  are  his  company.  They  form  the 
inner  circle  in  the  days  of  his  popularity  when  the  crowds 
press  upon  him.  They  go  with  him  when  he  fares  forth 
from  Galilee,  a  fugitive  and  in  danger.  A  few  are  present 
even  in  those  moments  of  his  most  intimate  experience,  on 
the  mountain  top  and  in  the  Garden.  And  they  remain 
with  him.  They  protest  when  he  goes  to  Jerusalem,  but 
they  follow  nevertheless;  and  though  they  scatter  and  flee 
upon  his  arrest,  yet  the  last  solemn  scene  shows  a  little 
group  of  the  faithful  near  the  cross. 

Those  Who  Followed 

The  larger  and  Lesser  Company. — When  we  think  of  the 
companions  of  Jesus  we  usually  think  of  the  twelve,  but 
the  circle  was  larger  than  this.  We  read  of  large  numbers 
who  went  with  him.  John  tells  us  of  a  crisis  when  many 
of  these  disciples  "walked  no  more  with  him"  (6.  66). 
The  reference  is  plainly  not  to  the  believers  who  were 
simply  occasional  hearers,  but  to  those  who  had  for  a  while 
joined  his  company.  There  were  women  among  these 
followers,  some  of  whose  names  we  know :  "Mary  that  was 
called  Magdalene,  from  whom  seven  demons  had  gone  out, 

77 


78  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

and  Joanna  the  wife  of  Chuzas  Herod's  steward,  and 
Susanna,  and  many  others"  (Luke  8.  1-3).  A  number  of 
these,  like  Joanna,  must  have  been  well-to-do,  as  they 
helped  to  provide  for  Jesus  and  his  company.  Mark  tells 
us  that  these  courageous  women  followed  him  on  the  last 
journey  to  Jerusalem,  and  were  present  at  the  cross.  Two 
of  these  he  mentions  by  name  (Mark  15.  40,  41).  Of  this 
larger  group  the  twelve  formed  the  inner  and  permanent 
center. 

Conditions  for  Joining. — What  did  Jesus  demand  of 
men  as  a  condition  for  joining  his  company?  It  is  inter- 
esting first  of  all  to  see  what  he  did  not  require.  He  did 
not  use  any  outward  form,  not  even  the  rite  of  baptism 
required  by  John.  Whatever  the  reference  in  John  4.  1,  2 
may  mean,  there  is  no  suggestion  anywhere  that  Jesus 
himself  baptized  or  asked  the  twelve  to  baptize  those  who 
wished  to  follow  him.  He  did  not  require  any  statement 
of  belief,  not  even  the  confession  of  his  Messiahship,  for 
this  he  did  not  openly  declare  until  late  in  his  ministry. 
What  he  asked  was  very  simple,  "Come,  follow  me."  And 
yet  the  demand  was  searching  enough,  far  more  than  what 
we  commonly  ask  of  men  to-day.  First  of  all,  while  he 
set  up  no  creed,  yet  he  asked  for  faith,  that  men  should 
receive  his  word  as  a  word  from  God  and  trust  in  him.^ 
He  asked  for  the  eager  heart  and  the  open  mind,  anxious 
to  accept  the  truth.  It  was  a  narrow  gate  of  childlikeness, 
of  humility  and  trust.  Hence  these  were  called  disciples; 
that  is,  learners.  They  accompanied  Jesus  in  order  that 
they  might  better  learn  his  teaching.  In  the  second  place, 
this  simple  "follow  me"  meant  obedience.  These  men  and 
women  were  not  simply  learners,  but  followers.  Eepent 
and  believe,  he  said.  Eepentance  meant  "about-face." 
They  were  to  hate  the  old  evil  and  turn  their  face  toward 
the  Kingdom,  that  rule  of  God  which  he  was  bringing.  To 
say,  "Lord,  Lord,"  meant  nothing;  it  was  those  who  did 
the  will  of  his  Father  who  were  to  him  brother  and  sister 
and  mother  (Mark  3.  35). 

Companions  of  the  Road. — There  was,  indeed,  one  out- 
ward  sign   of   this   discipleship   in   that  these   followers 


THE  COMPANIONS  OF  JESUS  79 

"walked  with  him."  The  phrase  suggests  the  special 
character  of  this  group.  They  did  not,  of  course,  include 
all  those  who  believed  on  him.  Some  of  them,  the  twelve, 
he  had  called  for  a  special  purpose;  others  were  with  him 
that  they  might  receive  fuller  instruction  or  might  serve 
him.  The  Gospels  suggest  that  Jesus  gave  such  special 
instruction  not  simply  to  the  twelve,  but  to  the  larger 
group,  explaining  to  them  more  fully  the  truths  of  the 
Kingdom  which  he  brought  to  the  multitudes  in  brief 
parables.  This  larger  group  was  changeable.  Only  a  few, 
like  the  women  who  followed  him  to  Jerusalem,  could  afford 
to  stay  a  long  time  with  him;  and  some  of  the  time,  as 
when  he  had  to  flee  Galilee,  it  seems  that  only  the  twelve 
accompanied  him.  It  was  from  this  larger  group  that 
Judas'  successor  was  later  chosen  (Acts  1.  21). 

The  Call. — There  was  a  certain  masterfulness  in  Jesus' 
way  with  men.  "He  calleth  unto  him  whom  he  himself 
would;  and  they  went  unto  him"  (Mark  3.  13).  It  was 
the  voice  of  one  who  spoke  for  God  and  had  the  right 
to  command.  He  bids  the  brothers  leave  their  nets  and 
boats,  and  Levi  his  place  of  business.  He  commands  this 
man  to  leave  the  dead  unburied,  he  tells  another  that  he 
must  not  look  back  when  his  hand  is  on  the  plow,  and 
summons  the  rich  young  ruler  to  sell  all  his  property.  The 
men  of  the  inner  circle  of  the  twelve  Jesus  himself  selected, 
and  most  of  those  of  the  larger  circle  seem  also  to  have  come 
at  his  request.  Others  asked  permission,  like  the  scribe 
of  Matthew  8.  19  and  the  Gadarene  demoniac  (Mark  5. 
18,  19).  Some,  like  the  last-named,  he  did  not  accept; 
the  Gadarene  was  to  be  his  disciple,  but  to  serve  him  in  his 
home  town.  Some,  on  the  other  hand,  refused  his  call, 
like  the  rich  young  man  whose  possibilities  Jesus  saw  and 
whom  he  craved  for  this  special  relation  (Mark  10.  31,  22). 

The  Pukpose  and  the  Method  of  Jesus 

The  Twelve. — It  is  when  we  come  to  the  smaller  circle 
of  the  twelve  that  we  see  most  clearly  the  purpose  and 
method  of  Jesus.    The  choice  of  the  twelve  was  apparently 


80  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

made  gradually,  with  at  least  a  brief  time  for  acquaintance 
and  testing.  Five  were  settled  upon  almost  at  the  begin- 
ning: the  two  pairs  of  brothers,  Andrew  and  Peter,  James 
and  John,  and  the  tax  gatherer  Levi.  Later  the  full  num- 
ber of  the  twelve  was  completed.  Undoubtedly  there  were 
some  outside  the  twelve  who  stood  very  close  to  Jesus  as 
friends,  but  this  was  the  definite  and  permanent  center  of 
his  following. 

The  Purpose. — ^Mark  states  clearly  and  simply  what 
Jesus'  purpose  was  in  thus  choosing  the  twelve :  "that  they 
might  be  with  him,  and  that  he  might  send  them  forth" 
(Mark  3.  14).  It  very  soon  became  clear  that  Jesus  could 
not  do  much  with  the  multitudes  that  came  to  him.  They 
were  quite  ready  to  gaze  at  wonders,  to  eat  loaves  and 
fishes,  and  even  to  acclaim  him  as  Messianic  King  if  he 
should  give  them  occasion.  But  that  was  not  what  he 
sought.  What  he  needed  was  to  move  men  to  repentance 
and  by  patient  teaching  to  show  them  the  meaning  of  the 
Kingdom.  The  crowds  gave  little  opportunity  for  such 
teaching  and  made  little  response  to  it.  It  was  clear  that 
he  must  begin  with  a  little  company  and  through  them 
reach  others.  Jesus  himself  seems  to  have  seen  that  from 
the  beginning. 

The  Threefold  Task. — Three  tasks  awaited  Jesus  with 
this  little  company.  He  must  instruct  them.  They  had 
caught  a  vision  and  answered  his  call ;  he  had  stirred  their 
souls  and  they  trusted  him.  But  the  Gospels  tell  us  frankly 
how  slow  they  were  to  see.  They  were  still  Jews,  with 
minds  filled  with  the  thought  of  an  earthly  kingdom.  Line 
upon  line,  precept  upon  precept,  he  must  give  them  the 
new  message,  until  the  time  should  come  when  they  would 
proclaim  from  the  housetops  what  now  they  were  learning 
in  secret.  The  next  task  was  to  train  their  souls.  Dreams 
of  selfish  ambition  went  with  their  thoughts  of  the  King- 
dom, and  we  see  these  cropping  out  almost  to  the  very  last. 
Judas,  it  would  seem,  fell  a  prey  to  the  temptations  that 
came  from  such  ideas,  betraying  the  Master  who  would 
not  seize  a  crown.  These  men  needed  to  learn  the  spirit 
of  Christ;  the  kingdom  of  the  Spirit  could  be  established 


THE  COMPANIONS  OF  JESUS  81 

only  by  men  whom  that  Spirit  filled  and  controlled.  And 
the  final  task  was  to  make  clear  and  sure  their  faith  in 
himself.  They  had  trusted  him  and  followed  him,  but  that 
trust  must  issue  in  a  clear  and  definite  faith.  They  must 
learn  to  know  his  place  in  the  Kingdom  and  his  meaning 
for  men.  Only  thus  would  they  be  ready  to  bear  witness, 
and  it  was  for  this  end  that  he  was  training  them  (Acts 
1.  22;  John  15.  27).  Such  was  the  purpose  of  Jesus  in 
that  training  of  the  twelve  to  which  he  gave  so  large  a 
part  of  his  ministry. 

The  Method:  Teaching  and  Fellowship. — The  method  of 
Jesus  is  a  lesson  to  his  followers  for  all  time,  and  especially 
to  parents  and  all  that  train  the  young.  It  was  first  the 
method  of  the  teacher.  Patiently,  persistently,  over  and 
over  again,  with  changing  explanation  and  illustration,  he 
taught  them  the  lessons  of  the  Kingdom,  what  the  spirit 
of  the  Father  was,  what  should  be  the  life  of  his  sons.  His 
speech  was  that  of  their  daily  life,  his  pictures  were  all 
from  the  world  they  knew;  the  farmer,  the  merchant,  the 
housewife,  the  little  incidents  in  their  own  circle,  all  yielded 
their  lesson.  But  beyond  the  method  of  the  teacher  was 
that  of  the  friend.  Hand  in  hand  with  this  teaching,  en- 
forcing it,  illustrating  it,  transcending  it,  was  personal 
fellowship.  It  was  more  than  an  example  lived  before 
them:  it  was  a  life  that  he  gave  them.  He  poured  into 
their  lives  his  own  faith  and  courage  and  strength,  his  love 
and  patience  and  pity.  We  say  of  Jesus  that  he  gave  his 
life  on  the  cross;  he  had  been  giving  it  through  all  these 
days.  The  lesson  stands  out  for  all  who  would  serve:  it 
costs  life  to  save  life. 

The  Results. — The  results  of  this  work  did  not  appear 
at  once.  These  were  not  saints  whom  Jesus  chose,  they 
were  just  men  in  the  making.  But  he  who  chose  them 
knew  what  was  in  them.  That  was  true  even  in  Judas' 
case.  Those  qualities  in  Judas  which  had  led  the  company 
to  choose  him  to  carry  their  common  funds  and  arrange 
their  practical  affairs  Jesus  himself  must  have  seen  and 
valued.  The  eleven  were  slow  in  learning.  Again  and 
again  he  calls  them  "little-faith"  men.    But  they  met  the 


82  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

test  at  last.  Only  one  failed  the  Master.  Men  are  not 
machines.  The  highest  power  of  heaven  will  not  avail  un- 
less the  soul  of  the  man  makes  answer.  And  the  answer 
from  Judas  was  wanting.  But  the  method  of  Jesus  did 
not  fail.  We  can  measure  the  success  of  the  method  by 
what  these  men  became  and  by  what  they  did.  These  men 
who  had  been  so  fearful  stand  up  as  fearless  witnesses  in 
the  city  that  put  their  Lord  to  death.  The  men  who  had 
been  selfish  and  ambitious  seem  to  lose  every  aim  and 
desire  but  that  of  service,  and  some  of  them  seal  that 
service  in  the  martyr's  death.  The  men  who  were  so  slow 
to  understand  became  the  world's  teachers  of  a  new  spiritual 
faith.  All  that  we  know  of  Jesus'  words  is  what  these 
men  stored  up  in  their  hearts.  The  matchless  picture  of 
his  Spirit  and  life  has  come  to  us  through  them  alone,  a 
picture  which  no  man  could  have  handed  on  except  as  the 
Spirit  of  Christ  was  in  his  own  soul.  The  Christian 
Church  of  nineteen  centuries  has  rested  upon  the  founda- 
tions laid  by  these  Galilsean  peasants,  whose  only  training 
was  in  the  school  of  the  Master. 

The  Fellowship 

Their  Life  Together. — Of  the  actual  daily  life  which  the 
twelve  lived  with  their  Master  we  have  little  detailed 
knowledge.  We  know  that  they  were  friends  and  that  they 
shared  all  things.  Where  Jesus  went  as  guest,  they  went. 
There  was  a  common  purse  for  their  needs.  In  Galilee, 
at  least,  they  would  not  lack  for  hospitality.  The  disciples 
were  not  necessarily  poor.  Peter  and  Andrew  and  James 
and  John  came  from  homes  where  there  were  some  means. 
There  were  contributions  too  that  came  from  friends,  like 
the  women  noted  above,  and  in  that  simpler  day  and 
sunnier  clime  their  needs  would  not  be  great.  Sometimes 
they  may  have  slept  beneath  the  open  sky.  Their  journey- 
ings,  of  course,  were  all  on  foot.  Their  usual  food  was  of 
the  simplest  kind.  But  they  shared  it,  and  what  a  rich 
life  it  must  have  been !  What  talks  there  were  along  the 
way !    What  vision  of  gracious  deeds !    But  more  than  all 


THE  COMPANIONS  OF  JESUS  83 

was  the  simple  presence  of  that  Spirit,  of  that  life,  where 
they  saw  wrought  out 

"The  creed  of  creeds 
In  loveliness  of  perfect  deeds. 
More  strong  than  all  poetic  thought." 

Long  centuries  have  passed,  but  our  hearts  still  thrill  at 
the  thought  of  that  great  friendship,  that  matchless  privi- 
lege. 

"O  Sabbath  rest  by  Galilee! 
O  calm  of  hills  above, 
Where  Jesus  knelt  to  share  with  thee 
The  silence  of  eternity. 
Interpreted  by  love!" 

The  Meaning  of  Friendship  to  Jesus. — There  is  yet  an- 
other aspect  of  this  fellowship,  and  that  is  what  it  meant 
to  Jesus.  We  are  so  wont  to  forget  the  simple  human  life 
of  Jesus.  Nothing  speaks  to  us  so  convincingly  and  so 
appealingly  of  this,  as  Jesus*  friendships.  He  wanted  these 
companions  for  the  work  of  the  Kingdom,  but  he  wanted 
them  also  for  his  own  sake.  He  needed  sympathy  not 
less,  but  more  than  other  men.  He  was  no  mere  master 
and  patron;  he  was  a  friend,  the  incomparable  Friend  of 
all  the  ages.  But  friendship  expressed  his  own  need  as 
well  as  theirs.  "With  desire  have  I  desired  to  eat  this 
passover  with  you  before  I  suffer,"  he  says  on  that  last 
night  when  he  was  so  loath  to  let  them  go.  And  then  he 
adds  a  little  later,  thinking  back  over  the  days  now  nearly 
ended  which  he  had  spent  with  these  loyal  friends,  "Ye 
are  they  that  have  continued  with  me  in  my  temptations" 
Luke  22.  15,  28).  A  few  hours  later,  in  the  agony  of  his 
last  conflict,  he  turns  to  these  same  friends  for  sympathy 
(Mark  14.  37).  Thinking  of  him  thus  as  a  friend,  we  shall 
readily  understand  why  he  had  his  special  friends  within 
and  without  the  circle  of  the  twelve.  Within  are  Peter  and 
James  and  John,  whom  we  find  him  calling  to  himself 
in  the  great  crises  of  his  life  (Mark  5.  37;  9.  2;  14.  33). 
And  then  there  are  such  homes  as  those  of  Peter  in  Caper- 
naum and  Mary  and  Martha  at  Bethany,  to  the  latter  of 


84  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

which  Jesus  seems  to  have  gone  more  than  once  as  to  a 
haven  of  peace. 

DiBKCTIONS  FOB  STUDY 

We  are  trying  In  these  first  chapters  to  gain  a  picture  of 
Jesus'  life  and  work.  Sum  up  the  outstanding  ideas  that  have 
come  from  the  last  three  chapters,  and  let  them  form  such  a 
picture:  the  wandering  preacher  with  his  earnest,  joyous,  yet 
searching  message;  the  crowds  that  gathered;  the  wonderful 
healings;  the  ministry  to  the  sinners  and  Jesus'  association 
with  them.  Now  we  are  to  add  another  and  most  important 
feature  to  the  picture:  the  circle  of  followers  about  Jesus. 

Read  over  carefully  the  Scripture  passages:  Mark  3.  13-19; 
Matthew  10.  1-16;  Luke  10.  17-20;  8.  1-3.  Note  that  these  pas- 
sages refer  to  the  inner  circle  of  the  twelve  and  their  sending 
forth,  and  to  the  women  as  representative  of  the  larger  circle. 

In  reading  the  narrative,  try  first  of  all  to  form  a  picture 
of  the  group  of  Jesus  and  his  disciples  and  the  life  which  they 
lived  together.  Picture  them  upon  the  road.  Can  you  not 
see  Peter  in  the  lead,  and  John  nearest  to  Jesus?  Did  Judas 
walk  by  himself? 

Study  next  the  question  of  Jesus'  purpose  in  having  this 
circle  and  the  method  he  used.  How  far  do  we  need  that 
method  to-day? 

Consider  what  this  fellowship  meant  to  Jesus  and  what  it 
meant  for  the  disciples. 

Finally,  try  to  state  what  this  company  and  Jesus'  work  with 
them  meant  for  the  church  and  the  world. 

What  qualities  does  Jesus  show  here  which  make  him  the 
ideal  friend? 


CHAPTER  XI 

POPULAEITY  AND  OPPOSITION 

The  work  in  Galilee  which  we  have  been  studying  marks 
the  first  great  period  of  Jesus'  life.  What  did  he  accom- 
plish ?  Why  did  he  not  go  on  ?  With  what  purpose  did  he 
turn  from  Galilee?  In  seeking  the  answer  to  these  ques- 
tions we  shall  study  first  the  popularity  of  Jesus  and  the 
growing  opposition  that  he  met. 

The  Time  of  Popularity 

Early  Favor. — The  Gospel  pages  show  plainly  the  great 
popularity  of  Jesus  during  this  ministry  in  Galilee.  Wher- 
ever he  appears  the  crowds  at  once  gather.  They  press 
into  the  house  so  that  he  and  his  friends  cannot  even  take 
food  (Mark  3.  20).  The  throng  is  so  great  by  the  side  of 
the  lake  that  he  must  get  into  a  boat  in  order  to  speak 
to  them  (Mark  3.  9).  He  leaves  the  cities,  but  the  crowds 
gather  in  the  country  places  to  which  he  goes;  and  when 
he  and  his  friends  try  to  escape  for  a  little  rest,  they 
discover  his  plan  and  are  awaiting  him  when  he  arrives 
(Mark  1.  45;  6.  31-33).  He  has  the  same  experience  when 
he  crosses  to  the  other  side  of  the  lake  (Mark  6.  53-56). 
Populous  Galilee  could  easily  furnish  such  crowds,  but  by 
this  time  his  fame  had  spread  and  they  came  from  afar  as 
well :  from  the  regions  of  Tyre  and  Sidon  on  the  west  and 
north,  from  Judaea  on  the  south,  from  Idumaea  lying  be- 
yond Judaea,  from  across  Jordan  on  the  east. 

The  Reason  for  It. — The  reason  for  this  sudden  response 
is  not  hard  to  see.  The  nation,  already  filled  with  hopes 
and  dreams,  had  been  stirred  from  end  to  end  by  John's 
message  of  the  kingdom  at  the  door.  As  soon  as  Jesus 
began  to  attract  attention  by  his  healings,  men  at  once 

85 


86  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

began  to  associate  him  with  this  idea  of  the  coming  king- 
dom. Not  that  they  thought  of  him  as  the  Messiah;  he 
was  one  of  the  prophets,  John  the  Baptist  risen  again,  or 
Elijah,  or  Jeremiah. 

Misunderstanding  and  Opposition 

Early  Opposition. — This  popularity  was  largely  upon 
the  surface.  Beneath  the  surface  there  were  misunder- 
standing and  opposition  almost  from  the  beginning,  and 
this  brought  its  inevitable  result  in  the  end.  For  Jesus 
himself  the  attitude  of  his  friends  and  kindred  must  have 
been  hardest  to  bear.  When  he  began  his  work  he  did  not 
at  first  go  to  his  old  home.  But  the  news  did  not  take  long 
to  reach  Nazareth,  the  astonishing  stories  of  what  Jesus, 
the  son  of  Joseph,  was  doing:  his  teaching,  his  healings, 
the  great  crowds,  his  daring  opposition  to  the  scribes  and 
Pharisees  whom  all  acknowledged  as  leaders.  Friends  went 
to  see  and  hear,  and  at  last  his  mother  and  brothers  came. 
They  heard  many  things,  no  doubt,  these  friends  of  his, 
but  they  seemed  to  have  missed  the  one  and  chief  matter, 
the  message  of  Jesus.  No  wonder  that  they  thought  him 
beside  himself  and  that  his  mother  and  brothers  sent  word 
to  him,  wishing  to  take  him  home.  But  that  message, 
God's  message,  was  everything  to  Jesus.  He  had  put  it 
first  in  his  own  life,  he  must  make  it  the  test  for  all  others, 
even  his  kindred.  "Who  is  my  mother  and  my  brother?" 
"Behold  my  mother  and  my  brethren !  For  whosoever 
shall  do  the  will  of  God,  the  same  is  my  brother,  and  sister, 
and  mother"  (Mark  3.  31-35).  Henceforth  his  gospel  was 
to  be  the  new  tie,  rising  above  kinship  and  friendship, 
nation  and  speech,  binding  men  in  a  new  and  universal 
fellowship.  But  it  was  to  bring  division  also,  and  the  sor- 
row of  such  division  Jesus  now  felt. 

His  Visit  Home. — It  was  probably  somewhat  later  than 
this  that  Jesus  visited  his  home  (Luke  4.  16-30).  He 
had  left  the  first  and  narrower  sphere  of  work  near  the 
lake  and  with  his  disciples  was  moving  through  the  towns 
of  Galilee.    At  last  one  Sabbath  day  he  found  himself  in 


POPULAEITY  AND  OPPOSITION  87 

the  familiar  synagogue  at  Nazareth.  It  was  not  so  many 
months  since  he  had  left  it,  but  how  much  had  happened  in 
that  time !  The  service  began.  The  lesson  from  the  law 
was  apparently  read  by  another;  to  Jesus  was  given  the 
lesson  from  the  prophets.  It  was  the  roll  of  the  prophet 
Isaiah  that  was  handed  him,  and  he  read  the  opening 
verses  of  the  sixty-first  chapter. 

His  Rejection  at  Nazareth. — After  the  custom  of  the 
synagogue,  when  Jesus  had  completed  the  lesson  he  began 
to  speak.  What  would  he  say  to  these  townsmen  and 
friends?  The  lesson  had  spoken  of  a  new  and  glorious 
day.  "To-day,'*  said  Jesus,  "hath  this  Scripture  been  ful- 
filled in  your  ears."  They  could  not  deny  the  grace  and 
power  of  his  words,  but  such  a  declaration  seemed  pre- 
sumptuous. This  was  the  son  of  the  village  carpenter. 
They  knew  his  mother  and  brothers  and  sisters.  What 
did  he  mean  by  this  manner  of  authority  ?  Why  should  he 
say  that  the  prophet's  message  was  fulfilled  that  day? 
Let  him  do  for  them  some  of  the  wonders  that  were  talked 
about  in  Capernaum,  then  they  might  listen  to  him.  Jesus 
read  their  unbelief  in  their  faces.  It  was  the  same  experi- 
ence :  cavil  and  criticism,  blindness  to  his  message.  He  had 
brought  them  the  glorious  word  that  the  day  of  which  the 
prophet  spoke  was  near ;  instead  of  penitence  and  rejoicing, 
this  was  the  answer.  "And  he  marveled  because  of  their 
unbelief"  (Mark  6.  6).  But  when  he  met  their  unbelief, 
not  by  working  wonders,  but  by  the  proverb  about  the 
prophet  honored  everywhere  except  at  home,  they  became 
angry;  "and  they  rose  up  and  cast  him  forth  out  of  the 
city." 

Conflicts  with  the  Leaders 

Opposition  Gradually  Rising. — The  enmity  of  old  neigh- 
bors and  the  unbelief  of  his  kindred  were  but  passing 
events,  however  they  may  have  wounded  Jesus.  Deeper 
in  its  passion  and  more  fateful  in  its  consequences  was  the 
attitude  of  the  leaders  of  the  people,  the  scribes  and 
Pharisees.  In  freer  Galilee  the  Pharisees  were  not  so 
strong  as  in  Jerusalem ;  yet  here  too  they  were  the  acknowl- 


88  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

edged  leaders  in  piety  as  the  scribes  were  the  recognized 
authority  in  religion.  They  had  no  occasion  to  oppose 
Jesus  at  first.  To  them  he  was  one  of  many  teachers  seek- 
ing to  instruct  the  people  in  the  way  of  righteousness. 
He  made  no  attack  upon  the  law,  and  he  and  his  disciples 
attended  the  synagogue  and  went  up  to  the  great  feasts 
at  Jerusalem.  Very  early,  however,  they  found  occasion 
to  note  his  lack  of  strictness  in  keeping  certain  laws  and 
to  criticize  his  association  with  "sinners."  Gradually  they 
came  to  see  that  here  was  a  different  conception  of  religion 
that  would  overthrow  their  teachings  and  their  authority, 
and  so  there  came  at  last  the  settled  and  bitter  hostility. 

The  Cause  of  Conflict :  the  Religion  of  Rules. — The  first 
source  of  conflict  was  in  connection  with  those  endless 
rules  the  keeping  of  which  made  up  the  main  part  of  reli- 
gion for  the  average  Jew.  The  study  of  these  rules  was  the 
great  business  of  the  scribes;  their  keeping  was  the  very 
life  of  the  Pharisees.  The  welfare  of  men,  the  demands 
of  mercy  and  righteousness,  were  lost  sight  of.  The  keep- 
ing of  these  rules  was  an  end  in  itself  to  which  other  things 
had  to  bend.  A  physician,  for  example,  might  help  on  the 
Sabbath  in  a  matter  of  life  and  death,  but  he  was  not  al- 
lowed to  set  a  broken  limb  or  pour  cold  water  on  a  sprained 
ankle. 

Sabbath  Healings. — Jesus'  chief  interest  was  not  in 
rules,  but  in  righteousness ;  not  in  institutions,  but  in  men. 
Thus  he  violated  again  and  again  the  Pharisaic  rules  of 
the  Sabbath  by  his  healings  on  that  day.  The  Pharisees 
themselves  were  present  on  one  such  occasion  (Mark  3. 
1-5).  There  had  been  brought  him  a  man  with  a  withered 
hand.  In  one  of  the  old  Gospels,  not  contained  in  our 
Bible,  the  Gospel  of  the  Hebrews,  the  man  is  said  to  have 
spoken  thus  to  Jesus :  "I  was  a  mason,  earning  my  living 
with  my  hands;  I  pray  thee,  Jesus,  restore  to  me  my 
health  that  I  be  not  put  to  the  shame  of  begging.'*  Jesus 
read  the  thought  of  his  enemies,  and  made  his  appeal  to 
them.  He  tried  to  show  them  by  his  question  just  what 
their  position  meant :  "Is  it  lawful  on  the  Sabbath  day  to 
do  good?"     It  seemed  so  clear  to  him,  surely  they  must 


POPULAEITY  AND  OPPOSITION  89 

understand.  But  they  refused  to  yield,  all  the  more  en- 
raged because  they  could  not  answer  him. 

The  Sahbath  for  Man. — Jesus  made  his  position  still 
more  clear  on  another  occasion.  The  disciples,  passing 
through  a  grain  field  on  the  Sabbath,  had  plucked  some 
of  the  ears,  rubbed  out  the  grain,  and  eaten  it  (Mark  2. 
23-28).  The  Pharisees  complained  to  Jesus.  Taking  the 
grain  to  appease  hunger  was  allowed  by  the  Law,  but  in 
doing  it  on  the  Sabbath  the  disciples  had  performed  two 
of  the  thirty-nine  principal  labors  forbidden  by  the  rules 
of  the  scribes,  namely,  reaping  and  threshing.  Jesus  first 
answered  them  on  their  own  plane,  pointing  to  David,  who 
likewise  broke  a  rule  in  his  need,  and  to  the  priests,  who 
break  the  rule  of  no  labor  that  they  may  offer  sacrifices 
(Matt.  12.  3-5).  Then  he  set  forth  the  great  principle 
which  applies  not  only  to  the  Sabbath,  but  to  all  laws 
and  forms  and  institutions:  "The  sabbath  was  made  for 
man,  and  not  man  for  the  sabbath;"  to  which  should  be 
added  the  word  in  Matthew  12.  7 :  "But  if  ye  had  known 
what  this  meaneth,  I  desire  mercy,  and  not  sacrifice,  ye 
would  not  have  condemned  the  guiltless." 

The  Laws  of  Purity. — Even  more  extensive  than  the 
Sabbath  laws  were  the  laws  of  purity.  These  were  based 
upon  Leviticus  11  to  15  and  Numbers  19,  but  endlessly 
elaborated.  Holiness  was  largely  a  matter  of  keeping  free 
from  defilement  by  the  unclean,  that  is,  the  ceremonially 
unclean  food  or  objects  or  persons.  Men  forgot  righteous- 
ness and  mercy  in  their  concern  about  bathing  hands  and 
vessels  and  shunning  "unclean"  food  and  "unholy"  men. 
Here  too  Jesus  came  into  conflict  with  the  Pharisees,  for 
about  all  these  things  he  cared  very  little.  The  ceremonial 
washings  he  and  his  disciples  simply  left  to  one  side  (Mark 
7.  1-5).  He  seems  to  have  disregarded  the  laws  of  food, 
whether  those  of  the  scribes  or  those  in  Leviticus,  declar- 
ing that  it  was  not  the  food  from  without,  but  the  thoughts 
within,  that  made  a  man  clean  or  unclean  (Mark  7.  14-23). 
He  cared  little  whether  men  were  ceremonially  clean  or 
not  when  it  came  to  saving  them.  He  was  quite  as  ready 
to  sit  at  table  with  Levi  as  with  Simon  the  Pharisee. 


90  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

The  Conflicting  Conception  of  Religion. — But  the  differ- 
ence between  Jesus  and  the  Pharisees  was  far  more  than 
the  question  of  obeying  certain  rules.  It  was  a  difference 
in  the  conception  of  religion  itself.  Long  before  this  the 
great  prophets  had  waged  a  similar  fight  against  the  popu- 
lar religion  of  their  day  with  its  emphasis  upon  sacrifices 
and  feasts  and  ritual.  It  is  justice  and  kindness  and 
humble  obedience  that  Jehovah  wants,  they  declared  (Isa. 
1  and  Mic.  6).  Jesus  stands  with  the  prophets  for  the 
religion  of  spirit  and  life,  not  of  forms  and  rules.  It  is 
one  of  these  prophets  that  he  quotes :  "I  desire  mercy,  and 
not  sacrifice"  (Hos.  6.  6).  The  Pharisees  saw  only  gradu- 
ally how  fundamentally  he  was  opposed  to  them,  but  Jesus 
realized  the  difference.  That  appears  in  Mark  2.  18-22. 
Mark  tells  here  how  the  Pharisees  were  criticizing  the 
disciples  because  they  did  not  keep  certain  rules,  in  this 
case  the  rules  of  fasting.  Jesus  points  out  that  fasting  is 
a  form,  and  men  should  use  forms  only  when  they  express 
the  spirit.  In  this  case  fasting  was  out  of  place.  "Can 
the  sons  of  the  bridechamber  fast,  while  the  bridegroom 
is  with  them?"  Then,  in  picture  language,  he  sets  forth 
a  still  deeper  lesson.  The  wedding  feast  was  a  common  pic- 
ture with  the  Jews  to  portray  the  blessings  of  the  new  age 
of  the  Messiah.  I  have  brought  the  new,  says  Jesus,  and 
you  cannot  shut  it  up  any  more  in  the  old  forms.  You 
cannot  patch  the  old  garments  with  the  new  cloth,  you 
cannot  put  the  new  wine  into  old  wine-skins.  Jesus  was 
bringing  the  new  religion  of  the  Spirit  and  the  old  religion 
of  letter  and  form,  of  ritual  and  rule,  must  pass  away. 

The  Results  of  the  Conflict. — With  all  this  difference, 
Jesus  still  made  his  appeal  to  the  scribes  and  Pharisees. 
His  spirit  of  love  and  hope  went  out  even  to  them  and  he 
sorrows  when  they  do  not  respond  (Mark  3.  4,  5).  They 
were  not  all  alike;  it  was  a  scribe  to  whom  Jesus  said, 
"Thou  art  not  far  from  the  kingdom  of  God"  (Mark  12. 
34).  But  as  a  class  they  rejected  him.  Jesus  accuses 
them  of  willful  blindness  because  they  said  he  had  an 
unclean  spirit  and  was  in  league  with  Beelzebub.  It  was 
not  the  wrong  to  him  that  mattered,  but  the  sin  against 


POPULAEITY  AND  OPPOSITION  91 

themselves,  against  the  light  that  was  in  them.  That  was 
the  sin  against  the  Holy  Spirit,  for  the  light  was  God's 
light  (Mark  3.  22-30).  Their  attitude  compelled  him  to 
take  his  stand  openly  and  denounce  them  (Mark  7.  6-13). 
They  in  turn  soon  came  to  see  that  his  victory  would 
mean  their  defeat  and  loss  of  place.  They  tried  to  con- 
fute Jesus  before  the  people  (Matt.  12.  10)  and  so  destroy 
his  influence,  but  his  answers  left  them  speechless.  And 
so  they  began  plotting  with  the  Herodians,  probably  fol- 
lowers of  Herod  Antipas  (Mark  3.  6),  apparently  with 
the  plan  of  showing  up  Jesus  as  a  dangerous  political 
character,  perhaps  a  revolutionary.  They  did  not  succeed 
in  Galilee,  but  upon  just  such  a  charge  they  at  last  secured 
his  condemnation  before  Pilate  (Luke  23.  2). 

DiEEOTIONS  FOR  STUDY 

Read  Mark  1.  45;  6.  30-34,  53-56,  and  recall  other  passages 
which  speak  of  the  crowds  that  thronged  about  Jesus. 

Read  Luke  4.  21-30;  Mark  3.  20,  21,  31-35. 

Read  Mark  2.  18-28;  3.  1-6,  20-35;  7.  1-23. 

Study  these  passages  under  three  heads  as  arranged  above: 
the  early  popularity,  the  misunderstanding  and  opposition  of 
friends,  the  enmity  of  the  leaders. 

The  last  point  is  the  most  important.  After  reading  this 
chapter  through,  go  back  to  the  Scripture  passages  again.  Try 
to  discover  for  yourself  the  fundamental  difference  between 
Jesus  and  the  Pharisees  in  their  idea  of  religion,  in  their 
spirit,  and  in  their  aim. 

What  is  your  conception  of  religion? 


CHAPTER   XII 

BEYOND  THE  BORDERS  OF  ISRAEL 

We  come  now  to  the  great  turning  point  in  the  work 
of  Jesus.  The  ministry  in  Galilee  reaches  its  close.  Jesus 
comes  back  again  to  the  familiar  places,  but  the  old  ways 
are  not  resumed.  ISTor  does  Jesus  begin  elsewhere  a  minis- 
try like  this.  What  were  the  real  results  of  this  ministry, 
and  what  was  the  meaning  of  Jesus'  journey  "Beyond 
the  Borders  of  Israel"? 

The  Results  of  the  GALiL-a;AN  Ministry 

The  People  Fail  Jesus. — What  had  Jesus  accomplished 
in  this  period?  We  have  already  seen  his  failure  to  win 
the  leaders.  That  might  not  have  counted  so  much  if  he 
had  really  won  the  people,  but  the  real  failure  came  here. 
In  part  the  people  were  probably  influenced  by  their 
leaders,  but  there  was  a  deeper  reason.  We  have  already 
seen  that  the  religion  of  the  Jews  at  this  time  was  a  religion 
of  law  on  the  one  side  and  of  hope  on  the  other.  The 
Pharisees  were  concerned  with  the  former,  the  interest 
of  the  people  lay  in  the  latter,  in  the  dream  of  deliverance 
from  Rome  and  an  earthly  kingdom.  Jesus  had  alienated 
the  Pharisees  by  his  attitude  toward  the  Law;  now  he 
alienated  the  people  because  he  did  not  meet  their  ideal  of 
the  Kingdom  hope.  His  first  healings  had  aroused  their 
enthusiasm,  but  he  refused  to  work  signs  for  them  or  to 
become  a  mere  healer.  He  said  nothing  about  revolt  from 
Rome  nor  the  future  glories  of  Israel.  Instead,  he  put  more 
and  more  clearly  his  message  about  sin  and  repentance, 
about  the  kingdom  of  righteousness  and  love. 

The  Woes  upon  the  Cities. — Jesus  had  been  under  no 
illusion  as  to  the  meaning  of  the  crowds  and  their  enthu- 

92 


BEYOND  THE  BORDERS  OF  ISRAEL         93 

siasm.  That  did  not  lessen  his  grief  at  their  refusal  or  his 
condemnation  of  their  lack  of  faith.  We  see  his  estimate 
of  the  results  in  the  woes  that  he  pronounces  upon  the  three 
cities  where  most  of  his  work  was  done:  "Woe  unto  thee, 
Chorazin !  woe  unto  thee,  Bethsaida !  for  if  the  mighty 
works  had  been  done  in  Tyre  and  Sidon  which  were  done 
in  you,  they  would  have  repented  long  ago  in  sackcloth  and 
ashes.  .  .  .  And  thou,  Capernaum,  shalt  thou  be  exalted 
unto  heaven?  thou  shalt  go  down  unto  Hades:  for  if  the 
mighty  works  had  been  done  in  Sodom  which  were  done  in 
thee,  it  would  have  remained  until  this  day.  But  I  say 
unto  you  that  it  shall  be  more  tolerable  for  the  land  of 
Sodom  in  the  day  of  judgment,  than  for  thee"  (Matt.  11. 
21,  23,  24).  Men  are  to  be  judged  according  to  their 
light.  Never  had  such  a  message  come  to  any  people.  If 
the  Queen  of  Sheba  came  from  the  ends  of  the  earth  to  hear 
the  wise  king,  what  of  this  people  that  would  not  listen  to 
a  greater  than  Solomon  ?  They  were  worse  than  the  pagan 
Ninevites,  for  these  repented  at  the  prophet's  preaching, 
and  a  greater  than  Jonah  was  here  (Luke  11.  29-32). 

Where  Jesus  Succeeded. — And  yet  the  ministry  in  Galilee 
was  not  a  failure.  The  people  as  a  whole  had  rejected  him, 
but  there  was  a  little  group  that  had  heard  and  rejoiced 
and  obeyed.  Twelve  men  he  had  found  in  these  days  upon 
whom  he  expected  to  build.  And  there  were  not  a  few 
others.  The  wise  and  the  mighty  had  refused  him,  but  the 
publicans  and  sinners,  the  poor  and  humble  had  turned  to 
him,  and  his  heart  had  been  stirred  again  and  again  by 
their  faith  and  eager  desire.  It  was  not  what  he  had  ex- 
pected, but  now  he  saw  that  it  was  his  Father's  good  will, 
and  he  rejoiced  in  his  Father's  wisdom  and  mercy.  That 
is  what  lies  back  of  those  words  of  wonder  and  rejoicing 
and  gracious  invitation,  perhaps  the  most  beautiful  words 
in  the  Gospels,  which  come  out  of  this  very  hour  of  dark- 
ness: "I  thank  thee,  0  Father,  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth, 
that  thou  didst  hide  these  things  from  the  wise  and  under- 
standing, and  didst  reveal  them  unto  babes:  yea.  Father, 
for  so  it  was  well-pleasing  in  thy  sight."  And  then  the 
wonder  gives  place  to  humble  joy  and  eager  longing,  joy 


94  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

that  such  a  ministry  is  his,  longing  that  all  sinful  and 
needy  men  may  have  its  blessing:  "All  things  have  been 
delivered  unto  me  of  my  Father:  and  no  one  knoweth  the 
Son,  save  the  Father;  neither  doth  any  know  the  Father, 
save  the  Son,  and  he  to  whomsoever  the  Son  willeth  to 
reveal  him.  Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy 
laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest.  Take  my  yoke  upon  you, 
and  learn  of  me;  for  I  am  meek  and  lowly  in  heart:  and 
ye  shall  find  rest  unto  your  souls.  For  my  yoke  is  easy, 
and  my  burden  is  light"  (Matt.  11.  25-30). 

The  Ceisis  and  the  Depaktuee 

The  Open  Break  With  the  Pharisees. — The  opposition 
of  the  Pharisees  came  at  length  to  a  crisis.  It  was  Jesus' 
own  act  that  brought  the  final  break.  They  had  criticized 
his  disciples  for  eating  with  unwashed  (ceremonially  un- 
clean) hands.  Jesus  not  only  corrected  their  teaching, 
but  openly  and  by  name  condemned  them,  lie  called  them 
hypocrites,  that  is,  men  who  were  playing  a  part  like  the 
actors  with  their  masks  on  the  Greek  stage.  There  was  no 
real  devotion  to  God  with  all  their  ostentatious  piety.  They 
seemed  the  strictest  of  saints,  but  he  showed  how  by  their 
rules  they  were  nullifying  the  laws  of  God  (Mark  7.  5- 
13).  It  was  a  definite  break.  The  young  teacher  had 
defied  and  denounced  the  powerful  leaders  of  the  church. 
Even  his  disciples  were  astonished.  "Knowest  thou  that 
the  Pharisees  were  offended  ?"  they  said  to  him,  as  soon  as 
they  were  alone  (Matt.  15.  12).  "Offended"  was  a  mild 
word  to  describe  the  anger  which  the  Pharisees  felt.  They 
had  tried  earlier  to  confute  Jesus  before  the  people  and 
his  answers  had  left  them  speechless  (Matt.  12.  9-14). 
Now  he  denounced  them  before  the  people  and  they  had 
no  answer.  It  was  no  longer  a  mere  debate  about  some 
law  or  rule;  they  saw  at  length  that  his  teaching  meant 
the  overthrow  of  all  for  which  they  stood,  and  his  success 
their  loss  of  place  and  power.  Mark  tells  us  in  another 
place  (3.  6)  that  they  began  plotting  with  the  Herodians, 
probably  a  political  party  and  adherents  of  Herod  Antipas. 


BEYOND  THE  BORDEES  OF  ISRAEL  95 

Their  plan  may  have  been  to  attack  Jesus  as  a  dangerous 
political  revolutionary,  and  so  secure  the  help  of  this  ruler 
who  had  so  recently  executed  John  the  Baptist.  They  did 
not  succeed  at  this  time,  but  it  was  upon  such  a  charge  that 
they  haled  him  at  last  before  Pontius  Pilate  and  brought 
him  to  the  cross  (Luke  23.  2). 

Leaving  Galilee. — Jesus  thus  decides  to  leave  Galilee. 
The  failure  of  the  people  and  the  danger  from  Herod  may 
have  moved  him  equally.  He  did  not  go  through  fear. 
That  is  plain  from  his  response  to  a  later  warning  as  to 
peril  from  Herod:  "Go  and  say  to  that  fox,  Behold,  I 
cast  out  demons  and  perform  cures  to-day  and  to-morrow, 
and  the  third  day  I  am  perfected.  Nevertheless  I  must  go 
on  my  way  to-day  and  to-morrow  and  the  day  following" 
(Luke  13.  31-33).  His  life  was  in  God's  care  and  he  had 
no  fear,  but  his  work  was  not  yet  done.  To  be  reckless  of 
danger  was  not  a  sign  of  faith;  it  was  simply  tempting 
God  (Matt.  4.  5-7). 

The  Wanderings 

The  Second  Period  of  His  Work. — The  second  period  of 
Jesus'  work,  which  now  begins,  bears  four  marks:  (1) 
It  is  a  time  of  wandering,  most  of  it  outside  of  Galilee, 
some  beyond  the  borders  of  Israel.  (2)  In  this  time  Jesus 
turns  from  the  masses  to  give  his  special  attention  to  the 
training  of  a  smaller  circle  of  disciples.  (3)  He  wins  the 
confession  of  that  circle,  and  declares  definitely  his  Mes- 
siahship.  (4)  He  sees  suffering  and  death  as  his  end  and 
prepares  the  disciples  for  it. 

Where  Jesus  Went. — Very  little  is  known  of  this  period 
in  which  Jesus  wandered  beyond  the  bounds  of  his  own 
people.  As  near  as  we  can  tell,  he  journeyed  from  Galilee 
northwestward  to  the  regions  bordering  upon  Tyre  and 
Sidon,  and  upon  his  return  kept  on  the  east  side  of  the 
lake  coming  down  to  Decapolis  (Mark  7.  2-4,  31).  A 
second  journey  to  the  north  led  him  to  Csesarea  Philippi, 
where  Peter  made  the  great  confession  and  whence  he  re- 
turned again  for  at  least  a  brief  visit  to  Galilee  and 
Capernaum  (Mark  8.  27;  9.  30,  33). 


96  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

Jesus  and  the  Gentile  Woman. — Only  one  incident  is 
preserved  for  us  from  this  first  northern  journey — that  of 
the  Syrophoenician  woman.  Jesus  had  gone  north,  not  to 
continue  his  public  ministry  among  other  peoples,  but  for 
a  period  of  retirement  with  his  disciples.  His  fame,  how- 
ever, had  reached  even  here.  Some  one  who  had  gone  up 
to  Galilee  from  this  region  probably  recognized  him.  Thus 
it  happened  that  a  certain  woman  came  to  the  house  where 
he  was  staying  and  besought  him  to  cast  a  demon  out  of 
her  daughter.  According  to  Matthew,  Jesus  answered  her 
that  he  was  only  sent  to  the  lost  sheep  of  the  house  of  Israel. 
When  she  persisted,  he  added,  ''It  is  not  meet  to  take  the 
children's  bread  and  cast  it  to  the  dogs"  (Matt.  15.  26). 
All  this  at  first  sight  seems  strangely  at  variance  with 
Jesus'  usual  quick  sympathy  and  readiness  to  help.  It 
must  be  remembered  that  Jesus  was  seeking  retirement 
with  his  disciples;  to  begin  the  work  of  healing  would  at 
once  l)ring  the  multitudes.  Moreover,  words  tell  but  little 
oftentimes.  Were  the  words  playfully  spoken?  Or  was 
he  testing  her  faith?  Two  facts,  in  any  case,  are  plain: 
the  woman  was  encouraged  to  persist,  and  Jesus  healed  her 
child  (Mark  7.  24-30). 

Jesus  and  the  Gentiles 

Was  It  a  Mission  to  the  Gentiles? — All  this,  however, 
raises  a  deeper  and  more  important  question.  What  was 
Jesus'  attitude  toward  the  Gentiles  ?  The  Jews  had  failed 
him;  was  he  turning  now  to  the  Gentiles?  Did  he  hold 
that  the  Gentiles  had  an  equal  right  to  the  Kingdom  ?  Or 
did  he  still  share  something  of  the  feeling  of  his  own  peo- 
ple, that  the  Kingdom  and  its  blessings  were  for  the  Jew? 
It  is  clear  that  he  undertook  no  mission  to  the  Gentiles 
at  this  time.  He  had  told  the  woman  that  he  was  sent 
only  to  the  lost  sheep  of  the  house  of  Israel,  and  when  he 
had  sent  out  his  disciples  it  was  with  the  instruction  not  to 
enter  Samaritan  or  Gentile  villages. 

Jesus'  Method. — There  are  two  questions  to  be  distin- 
guished here:    (1)   Did  Jesus  include  the  Gentiles  with 


BEYOND  THE  BORDERS  OF  ISRAEL         97 

the  Jews  in  his  plans  and  message?  (2)  What  was  Jesus' 
method  of  carrying  out  this  plan?  Let  us  look  at  the 
latter  first.  Jesus  was  preparing  men  for  the  coming  of 
the  Kingdom.  That  meant  a  great  deal  more  than  to  go 
out  and  make  an  announcement,  to  preach  a  sermon  and 
then  pass  on,  though  this  idea  of  "evangelizing  the  world" 
has  been  in  the  minds  of  some  of  his  followers.  He  knew 
the  work  that  it  required  to  make  men  see  the  meaning  of 
the  Kingdom  and  to  turn  them  to  repentance.  There  was 
only  one  place  to  begin:  with  Israel,  whom  God  had  pre- 
pared for  this  message.  If  Israel  refused,  what  encourage- 
ment was  there  to  go  to  their  Gentile  neighbors,  whose 
religion  was  a  mass  of  superstition,  whose  lives  were  on  the 
lowest  plane  ?  What,  then,  was  Jesus'  plan  when  the  peo- 
ple of  Galilee  failed  him?  It  was  twofold.  Ultimately 
he  planned  to  make  his  appeal  to  Jerusalem.  That  was 
necessary,  though  he  expected  little  from  it.  His  real  plan, 
however,  was  the  training  of  a  smaller  group  through  whom 
his  work  might  be  done.  The  kingdom  of  heaven  was  like 
the  leaven;  it  must  spread  quietly,  working  within.  And 
the  leaven  was  not  to  be  the  Jewish  people  as  a  whole,  but 
this  little  group  of  his  disciples.  The  method  of  Jesus, 
then,  was  the  training  of  this  little  group.  It  was  not  time 
yet  to  preach  to  the  Gentiles,  and  it  was  to  be  their  task, 
and  not  his. 

Jesus  and  the  Jewish  Attitude. — We  turn  now  to  the 
other  question:  Did  Jesus  include  Gentiles  with  Jews  in 
his  thought  of  the  Kingdom?  The  Jewish  position  we 
know.  The  Gentiles  were  enemies  to  be  overthrown;  or, 
as  subject  peoples,  they  were  to  bring  tribute  to  Jerusalem. 
The  kingdom  of  God  meant  the  triumph  of  Israel;  the 
Gentiles  were  the  obstacle.  First,  we  must  note  that  it  was 
against  this  idea  of  the  Kingdom  that  Jesus  fought  all  his 
life.  It  was  not  Gentile  enemies  that  he  was  concerned 
about.  He  would  not  let  himself  be  entrapped  in  any  anti- 
Roman  campaign  (Mark  12.  13-17).  The  strong  man 
whom  he  had  overcome  was  not  Rome,  but  the  power  of 
evil  (Luke  11.  20-22). 

His  Message  Is  to  Men  as  Men. — In  the  second  place,  in 


98  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

all  Jesus'  preaching  of  the  Kingdom  there  is  no  room  for 
favor  for  Jews  as  Jews  or  discrimination  against  Gentiles 
as  such.  -  Jesus'  preaching  is  not  to  Jews  or  to  Gentiles, 
but  to  men  as  men.  The  old  barriers  of  race  and  language 
and  national  hatred  all  drop  away  in  his  message.  See 
what  he  asks  of  men:  humility,  penitence,  earnestness, 
trust.  There  is  not  a  word  of  anything  Jewish,  of  circum- 
cision, or  wasliings,  or  holy  days ;  any  Gentile  could  render 
this  just  as  well  as  a  Jew.  Note  what  he  sets  forth  as  the 
object  of  trust  and  ground  of  hope :  not  the  Jehovah  of 
Israel  who  delivered  them  from  Egypt,  but  that  Father 
God  whom  all  men  might  know,  who  made  Ms  sun  to  shine 
upon  the  evil  and  the  good  (Matt.  5.  44,  45).  The  king- 
dom of  Jesus  is  not  a  kingdom  of  the  Jews.  It  is  a  king- 
dom of  men,  men  with  the  spirit  of  mercy  which  makes 
them  true  children  of  such  a  Father  of  mercy. 

His  Treatment  of  Gentiles. — All  this  is  exemplified  in 
Jesus'  treatment  of  individual  Gentiles,  whom  he  had 
abundant  opportunity  to  meet,  since  Galilee  was  so  largely 
Gentile.  There  is  no  narrowness  here.  He  rejoices  over 
the  faith  of  the  Roman  centurion,  as  over  that  of  the 
Syrophcenician  woman  (Matt.  8.  10).  The  Samaritans 
were  scorned  by  the  Jews  almost  more  than  were  the  pure 
Gentiles ;  yet  Jesus  holds  up  for  praise  the  Samaritan  leper 
in  contrast  with  the  rest  of  the  ten  who  were  presumably 
Jews.  More  striking  still  is  the  parable  of  the  man  that 
was  a  neighbor,  where  Jesus  took  a  Samaritan  for  his 
hero  and  made  "good  Samaritan"  forever  a  term  of  praise 
(Luke  10.  30-37).  Again  and  again  he  condemned  the 
Jews  in  contrast  with  Gentiles  who  were  more  ready  for  the 
word  of  God.  Thus  he  spoke  of  the  Ninevites  and  the 
Queen  of  Sheba,  of  Naaman  and  the  widow  of  Sarcpta,  and 
compared  Tyre  and  Sidon  and  Sodom,  names  that  were 
very  bywords  for  iniquity,  with  proud  Capernaum  and 
Bethsaida  and  Chorazin. 

A  Summary. — We  may  sum  up  by  saying :  Jesus  did  not 
turn  from  Israel  to  begin  a  work  among  the  Gentiles; 
but  neither  did  he  show  any  of  the  Jewish  narrowness  and 
race  hatred.    His  religion  is  human,  and  not  national.    He 


BEYOND  THE  BOEDERS  OF  ISRAEL         99 

rejoiced  in  love  and  faith  wherever  he  found  it.  His  king- 
dom was  not  a  kingdom  for  Jews,  but  for  the  humble  and 
contrite  and  merciful.  As  his  ministry  drew  to  a  close  he 
saw  with  increasing  clearness  that  the  Jews  as  a  nation 
would  refuse  him,  while  the  Gentiles  came  into  the  King- 
dom. 

Directions  fob  Study 

Read  Matthew  11.  20-30;  Luke  11.  29-32;  Mark  7.  5-13;  Jolin 
6.  66-68.  These  passages  suggest  the  success  and  failure  of 
the  early  ministry  in  Galilee. 

Read  Mark  7.  24-31.  This  passage,  with  the  scattered  refer- 
ences in  the  narrative,  raises  the  question  of  Jesus'  relation  to 
the  Gentiles. 

Read  the  Scripture  passages  first;  then  read  the  narrative 
with  constant  reference  to  the  Scripture,  including  the  ad- 
ditional passages  cited. 

Try  to  gain  for  yourself  a  clear  idea  on  two  points:  (1) 
Looking  backward,  what  were  the  results  of  this  early  minis- 
try? (2)  Looking  forward,  what  was  Jesus'  attitude  toward 
those  outside  of  Israel,  and  how  did  he  plan  to  bring  the  good 
news  of  the  Kingdom  to  them? 

Discuss  the  character  of  Christianity  as  a  universal  religion, 
one  suited  to  all  nations  and  all  men. 


CHAPTER   XIII 

THE  GEEAT  CONFESSION 

The  great  central  event  in  Jesus*  ministry  is  given  by 
Matthew  in  eight  brief  verses,  in  Mark  and  Luke  by  but 
three.  So  simply  is  the  story  told  that  it  is  easy  to  over- 
look its  importance.  But  that  is  the  character  of  our 
Gospels ;  they  tell  their  wonderful  tale  without  exclamation 
or  comment,  letting  the  deeds  and  words  of  Jesus  speak 
for  themselves.  Their  story  has  been  far  better  than  if 
they  had  mingled  their  own  opinions  and  comments;  but 
it  needs  the  more  thought  and  study  on  our  part  that  we 
do  not  miss  its  meaning.  The  culmination  of  Jesus'  minis- 
try was  the  confession  of  his  Messiahship  by  the  disciples. 
How  that  confession  came  and  what  it  meant  forms  the 
theme  of  this  chapter. 

Hov7  THE  Confession  Came 

The  lesson  without  Words. — We  have  already  considered 
the  plan  of  Jesus'  work,  and  why  he  began  with  a  ministry 
of  teaching  and  did  not  announce  his  Messiahship  at  once. 
To  have  done  the  latter  would  have  been  to  defeat  his  own 
purpose  and  stir  to  a  flame  the  fires  of  religious  patriotism 
and  fanaticism  that  were  always  smoldering.  To  his 
hearers  the  kingdom  of  God  meant  Israel's  rule  and  tri- 
umph, and  the  Messiah  a  leader  against  Rome.  Jesus 
must  first  teach  them  what  God's  rule  was,  what  the  King- 
dom really  meant,  and  prepare  their  hearts  for  this.  What 
he  failed  to  do  with  the  people  as  a  whole  he  tried  the 
more  earnestly  to  accomplish  with  the  smaller  group  of  his 
disciples  who  should  later  leaven  the  whole  lump. 

But  there  was  a  second  lesson  that  he  had  to  teach  the 

100 


THE  GREAT  CONFESSION  101 

twelve,  and  that  concerned  himself.  The  kingdom  of  God 
was  not  simply  a  beautiful  idea;  it  was  the  reign  of  God 
that  was  to  be  established,  and  Jesus  was  to  found  it.  Men 
must  learn  to  trust  him,  to  obey  him,  to  serve  him.  He 
had  been  silent  about  himself.  Even  after  this  time  he 
did  not  say  much  about  himself.  But  that  was  not  because 
he  himself  had  no  place  in  his  gospel  or  in  his  kingdom; 
it  was  because  he  wanted  no  outward  allegiance.  Here  was 
his  first  goal  in  the  training  of  the  twelve :  he  wants  their 
confession  of  his  Messiahship,  not  because  he  has  proclaimed 
it,  but  because  they  have  seen  it  in  him.  That  was  why 
he  was  spending  these  weeks  or  months  in  quiet  with  them 
wandering  far  from  home. 

What  Do  Men  Say  ? — ^Thus  the  time  came  to  test  his  work 
by  its  fruits.  It  was  on  the  second  journey  to  the  north. 
The  city  of  Csesarea  Philippi  lay  by  a  far-famed  spring. 
To  this  region  the  company  had  come,  traveling  north  from 
Decapolis  along  the  east  side  of  the  lake  and  Jordan.  The 
city  itself  Jesus  had  apparently  avoided,  stopping  rather 
in  the  quiet  villages  where  they  were  less  likely  to  be  dis- 
turbed. "Who  do  men  say  that  the  Son  of  man  is?"  was 
his  first  question.  They  told  him  what  men  had  been  say- 
ing about  him.  Some  had  taken  him  for  John  the  Baptist 
come  to  life  again,  as  Herod  Antipas  had  (Matt.  14.  2). 
The  saying  shows  how  profound  the  impression  was  that 
John  the  Baptist  had  made.  Some  held  him  to  be  Elijah, 
whom  the  Jews  expected  to  appear  before  the  Messiah's 
coming  (Mai.  4.  5;  note  Matt.  11.  14).  Others  simply 
said  that  he  was  one  of  the  prophets,  either  a  new  prophet 
or  one  of  the  old  ones  risen  again.  These  opinions  all 
agreed  in  one  point:  Jesus  was  a  prophet.  This  had 
been  the  very  first  impression  that  he  had  made  upon  the 
people  (Mark  1.  32),  and  it  was  as  such  that  the  disci- 
ples remembered  him  in  the  first  hopeless  days  after 
his  death,  when  they  described  him  as  "a  prophet  mighty 
in  deed  and  word  before  God  and  all  the  people"  (Luke 
24.  19). 

What  Say  Ye? — Here  at  last  was  the  test,  and  Jesus 
applied  it  under  conditions  that  made  it  the  more  severe. 


102  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

These  men  had  seeu  him  popular,  thronged  by  acclaiming 
multitudes;  now  he  was  a  wanderer,  his  very  life  in  peril. 
Nothing  could  have  been  in  sharper  contrast  with  all  that 
was  popularly  associated  with  the  name  of  Messiah;  the 
Messiah  was  to  lead  the  nation  and  to  have  honor;  the 
Messiah  was  to  have  power  and  to  overwhelm  his  foes. 
This  was  just  their  friend,  in  whose  company  they  had 
walked  and  talked,  had  hungered  and  eaten,  had  toiled 
and  slept,  in  these  past  months.  Jesus  had  wrought  great 
deeds  in  those  days,  but  none  of  them  compares  with  this 
victory  in  far-off  Csesarea  Philippi.  This  lonely  fugitive 
wins  from  these  companions  of  his  lowly  life  the  highest 
word  which  they  as  Jews  could  speak.  They  saw  in  him 
all  that  the  prophets  had  looked  forward  to,  all  that  their 
nation  had  longed  and  prayed  for  through  the  years,  the 
Messiah  of  Jehovah. 

The  Confession. — It  was  Peter  who  spoke  the  word, 
"Thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God."  Whether 
he  spoke  the  common  thought  of  all  the  twelve  we  do  not 
know.  It  is  probable  that  Jesus'  word  about  Peter  was 
exemplified  even  then;  that  the  faith  of  the  others  rested 
upon  this  rock  apostle,  and  that,  now  that  he  had  spoken, 
they  joined  in  his  confession.  There  is  a  quiet,  even  solemn, 
joy  and  triumph  in  the  answer  of  Jesus :  "Blessed  art  thou, 
Simon  Bar-Jonah :  for  flesh  and  blood  hath  not  revealed  it 
unto  thee,  but  my  Father  who  is  in  heaven.  And  I  also 
say  unto  thee,  that  thou  art  Peter  [Eock],  and  upon  this 
rock  I  will  build  my  church;  and  the  gates  of  Hades  shall 
not  prevail  against  it." 

The  Church  and  Its  Foundation 

A  Subject  of  Controversy. — What  did  Jesus  mean  here  by 
church,  and  how  is  Peter  the  rock  upon  which  his  church 
is  founded?  Endless  controversy  has  raged  around  this 
passage.  Upon  it,  together  with  the  passage  John  21.  15- 
17,  the  Eoman  Catholic  Church  has  based  its  doctrine  of 
the  papacy.  Kome  declares  that  Peter  was  here  given 
supreme  authority  in  the  church  as  the  vicar  of  Christ, 


THE  GREAT  CONFESSION  103 

and  that  the  bishops  of  Rome,  as  popes,  succeeded  Peter  in 
this  place  and  authority,  Peter  being  accounted  the  first 
bishop  of  Rome.  There  are  three  questions  that  need  to 
be  asked  here : 

(1)  What  is  the  church? 

(2)  What  is  the  rock  upon  which  it  rests  ? 

(3)  Wliat  is  meant  by  the  "keys  of  the  kingdom"  and 
the  binding  and  loosing? 

The  Church  a  Fellowship. — What  does  Jesus  mean  by 
his  church  here  ?  When  the  word  "church"  is  used  to-day, 
we  are  apt  to  think  of  a  more  or  less  elaborate  organiza- 
tion. With  the  Roman  Catholic  this  is  especially  true. 
For  him  this  machinery  of  priest  and  bishop  and  other 
clergy,  ending  at  last  in  the  pope  and  summed  up  in  him, 
forms  the  actual  church.  Yet  words  often  begin  with  a 
very  simple  significance  and  gather  a  large  and  complex 
meaning  in  the  course  of  the  centuries.  Thus  it  has  been 
with  the  idea  of  the  church.  If  we  ask  what  this  word 
meant  with  Jesus  and  his  first  followers,  we  must  drop  all 
ideas  of  elaborate  organization,  of  priesthood  and  authority. 
It  was  simply  the  company  of  his  followers  of  which  Jesus 
was  here  speaking,  the  new  community  joined  to  him  in 
loyalty  and  trust.  Such  the  church  was  in  the  first  days 
after  his  death,  and  so  it  appears  in  the  letters  of  Paul. 
It  would  be  better  if  we  had  some  such  word  as  fellowship, 
or  communion,  with  which  to  translate  it.  Think  how 
much  strife  about  organization  and  authority  would  be 
eliminated  if  we  read,  "Upon  this  rock  will  I  build  my 
community  (the  new  fellowship)." 

The  Significance  of  Its  Founding. — In  rejecting  the 
wrong  interpretation,  we  must  be  careful  not  to  miss  the 
great  meaning  of  this  hour.  Up  to  this  time  religion  had 
always  been  a  matter  of  a  given  city,  or  people,  or  nation. 
A  man  held  a  particular  religion  because  he  was  a  Jew 
or  an  Athenian.  With  all  their  proselytism,  the  Jews  did 
not  think  of  this  matter  differently  from  others;  the  man 
who  fully  accepted  their  faith  became  a  Jew  in  so  doing. 
With  Jesus  the  national  passes  away;  he  had  no  Jewish 
kingdom  in  mind,  nor  the  rule  of  any  nation.     He  sees 


104  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

a  company  gathered  from  many  sources,  those  who  confess 
and  follow  him  as  the  one  sent  of  God  to  establish  his 
rule  upon  the  earth.  An  inner  spirit  and  a  common  faith 
are  to  join  them  in  a  vital  unity.  Nothing  shall  over- 
come them,  neither  plotting  Pharisees  nor  Jerusalem 
priests,  nor  Herod  Antipas  nor  Pontius  Pilate,  nor  any 
power  on  earth  or  under  the  earth. 

Peter  the  Foundation. — What,  then,  is  this  "rock"  upon 
which  the  church  rests?  In  avoiding  the  error  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church  we  must  not  run  into  an  opposing 
extreme.  The  passage  is  plain :  "Thou  art  Rock  [Greek, 
petrosi,  and  upon  this  rock  [petra}  I  will  build  my 
church."  Protestants  have  sometimes  said  that  Jesus  did 
not  mean  Peter,  but  only  Peter^s  faith,  his  confession  of 
Jesus  as  Messiah.  No,  it  was  not  Peter's  creed  on  the  one 
hand  on  which  the  church  was  to  rest,  nor  Peter's  office 
on  the  other  hand  as  bishop  of  Rome,  according  to  the 
Roman  Catholic  fiction.  It  was  Peter  himself,  this  believ- 
ing, confessing  man.  That  was  what  Jesus  had  been  wait- 
ing for,  such  a  man  as  this.  That  was  the  whole  meaning 
and  purpose  of  his  work  with  these  disciples.  The  new 
fellowship  of  the  Kingdom  was  to  rest,  not  upon  outward 
force  or  authority,  not  upon  a  scheme  of  organization,  for 
he  gave  none  such.  Its  foundation  was  to  be  men,  men 
who  knew  him  and  trusted  him,  men  of  vision,  men  with 
his  Spirit,  men  who  would  carry  his  message  and  gather 
new  followers. 

But  Not  Peter  Alone. — In  all  this  Peter,  of  course,  was 
not  alone.  The  honor  that  comes  to  him,  which  no  one 
can  take  away,  lies  in  this,  that  his  confession  was  first. 
It  was  not  a  mere  matter  of  that  spirit  of  leadership  which 
characterized  him.  It  was  a  spiritual  intuition,  not  from 
flesh  and  blood,  but  through  the  revelation  of  the  Father. 
Others  were  joined  to  him  as  such  foundation.  To  begin 
with,  the  real  foundation  and  corner  stone  was  Christ 
himself  (1  Cor.  3.  11).  Then  we  read  that  all  the  apostles 
form  such  foundation,  and  elsewhere  it  is  said  of  the 
apostles  and  prophets  (Rev.  21.  14;  Eph.  2.  20).  Indeed, 
in  this  new  building  of  a  divine  humanity  all  Christ's 


THE  GEEAT  CONFESSION  105 

followers  are  stones;  all  rest  upon  the  final  foundation 
which  is  Christ,  but  all  help  in  turn  to  make  the  building 
and  to  bear  it  up  (1  Cor.  3.  9-16;  Eph.  2.  19-22). 

The  Meaning  of  the  Keys. — There  is  here  one  other  word 
of  Jesus  likewise  often  misused:  "I  will  give  unto  thee 
the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven:  and  whatsoever  thou 
shall  bind  on  earth  shall  be  bound  in  heaven ;  and  whatso- 
ever thou  shalt  loose  on  earth  shall  be  loosed  in  heaven." 
Here  again  Jesus  uses  a  striking  figure  of  speech.  Because 
such  a  figure  admits  of  varying  interpretations,  it  is  im- 
portant that  we  hold  to  the  spirit  and  principles  of  Jesus' 
teaching  as  elsewhere  clearly  evident.  Peter  is  not  now  the 
foundation,  but  the  housekeeper,  or  steward.  It  is  his  to 
open  and  close  the  door.  It  is  an  utter  perversion  of  Jesus' 
teaching,  for  which  this  furnishes  no  ground,  to  suppose 
that  it  means  that  Peter  or  anyone  else  should  have  the 
authority  to  determine  who  should  enter  the  kingdom  of 
God  and  who  not.  There  is  only  one  door  that  Jesus  ever 
suggested,  and  that  is  the  forgiving  mercy  of  God;  and 
he  pointed  out  but  one  way  to  enter,  and  that  was  with  the 
humble  trust  of  little  children.  But  it  was  the  high  privi- 
lege of  Peter  and  the  rest  by  their  preaching  to  open  the 
door  of  forgiveness  to  penitent  men,  and  to  show  how  that 
door  closed  to  the  unbelieving  and  disobedient.  The  figure 
of  loosing  and  binding  suggests  a  similar  work  of  teaching. 
These  were  familiar  phrases  with  the  rabbis,  referring  to 
their  authority  to  determine  what  was  allowed  according 
to  the  law  and  what  was  forbidden.  It  surely  does  not 
need  to  be  said  that  under  a  figure  of  speech  Jesus  was  not 
introducing  that  system  of  rules  and  laws  against  which 
he  had  been  fighting.  And  yet  they  were  to  be  scribes  as 
teachers  of  the  Kingdom.  There  is  another  passage  in 
which  Jesus  combines  the  ideas  of  scribe  and  householder 
(the  latter  suggested  here  by  the  keys)  :  "Every  scribe  who 
hath  been  made  a  disciple  to  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like 
unto  a  man  that  is  a  householder,  who  bringeth  forth  out 
of  his  treasure  things  new  and  old"  (Matt.  13.  52).  As 
teachers  of  the  Kingdom  they  were  to  open  the  way  of 
truth  and  shut  the  way  of  evil.    And  they  were  to  do  this 


106  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

not  alone,  but  under  divine  guidance ;  thus  it  should  repre- 
sent the  will  of  heaven. 

Here  again  it  is  clear  that  Jesus  is  not  speaking  of  an 
office  with  outward  authority,  or  even  limiting  this  to  one 
man;  for  in  Matthew  18.  18  he  gives  this  same  authority 
to  all  the  disciples.  It  belongs,  therefore,  to  men  as  the 
disciples  of  Christ  and  not  as  officials.  All  this  corresponds 
with  the  faith  of  the  early  church  as  we  find  it  reflected 
in  Paul's  epistles.  Every  disciple  as  such  was  to  have 
the  Spirit,  and  what  he  said  was  with  authority  so  far  as 
he  really  possessed  that  Spirit.  The  early  church,  as  seen 
in  the  New  Testament,  nowhere  shows  that  elaborate  or- 
ganization or  autocratic  power  which  Rome  later  built  upon 
these  verses. 

DiBECTIONS  FOB  STUDY 

Read  Matthew  16.  13-20. 

By  means  of  a  map  follow  the  course  of  Jesus  and  his  com- 
pany on  their  northern  journey. 

This  chapter  has  to  do  with  the  disciples  and  their  training. 
From  this  point  of  view,  review  from  Chapter  VII  on,  espe- 
cially Chapter  X,  forming  a  picture  of  the  life  of  the  twelve 
with  the  Master.  Try  to  realize  what  his  teaching,  his  works, 
and  his  fellowship  meant  to  them. 

In  the  study  of  this  chapter  consider  these  two  questions: 
(1)  By  what  steps,  or  through  what  influences,  were  the  disci- 
ples brought  to  this  confession?  (2)  What  did  this  confession 
mean  as  the  beginning  of  a  new  fellowship,  the  Christian 
Church? 

What  is  it  that  makes  a  Christian  Church?  Has  the  church 
any  right  to  compel  belief  or  to  compel  obedience?  What  Is 
the  nature  of  her  authority? 


CHAPTEK   XIV 
THE  TEANSFIGUKATION 

The  Gospels  for  the  most  part  are  the  simple  record 
of  the  words  and  deeds  of  Jesus,  set  down  by  the  writers 
without  notes  or  comment.  Here  and  there,  however,  the 
curtain  is  lifted  a  little  and  we  are  shown,  back  of  the 
words  and  deeds,  the  deeps  of  Jesus^  own  life,  his  feelings, 
his  inner  purposes,  his  conflicts.  These  may  be  called  the 
autobiographical  passages,  for  it  is  Jesus  himself  who  thus 
lifts  the  curtain.  At  such  places  we  stand  reverently  and 
seek  to  grasp  in  some  slight  measure  the  inner  meaning  of 
that  great  life,  in  particular  to  gain  what  light  we  can  upon 
the  question  as  to  how  Jesus  thought  of  himself  and  his 
mission. 

Here  belongs  Matthew  11.  25-30,  that  wonderful  passage, 
half  prayer  and  half  invitation,  where  Jesus  opens  to  the 
Father  his  heart  of  reverent  joy  and  to  men  the  depths  of 
his  tender  mercy.  But  there  are  four  other  scenes  of  self- 
disclosure  that  are  to  be  noted  in  particular,  each  marking 
a  supreme  experience  in  the  life  of  the  Master.  Two  we 
have  already  studied:  the  call  and  baptism  of  the  Spirit, 
and  the  forty  days  in  the  wilderness.  The  transfiguration, 
wliich  we  are  now  to  consider,  is  the  third,  and  the  scene 
in  Gethsemane  the  last.  The  first  two  incidents  were  told 
by  Jesus  to  his  disciples;  the  report  of  the  last  two  we 
owe  to  that  inner  circle  of  his  friends,  Peter,  James,  and 
John,  who  were  with  him  on  these  last  occasions.  In  all 
four  scenes  Jesus  is  concerned  with  the  same  great  question, 
what  his  work  was  and  how  he  should  carry  it  out.  All  of 
them  involve  conflict  and  decision.  They  are  the  inner  ex- 
planation of  his  outer  life.  He  moves  before  men  calm, 
strong,  victorious,  but  back  of  that  kingly  life  lay  the 

107 


108  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

temptations  and  fierce  conflicts  through  which  the  Son  of 
man  passed  for  the  sake  of  the  sons  of  men. 

The  Problem  of  the  Suffering  Messiah 

The  Meaning  of  the  Transfiguration. — The  transfigura- 
tion has  commonly  been  conceived  as  a  heavenly  glorifica- 
tion of  the  Master  intended  to  impress  his  disciples.  It 
was,  indeed,  a  part  of  their  training,  but  that  does  not 
mark  its  deepest  meaning.  As  already  noted,  this  period 
in  Jesus'  life  between  the  Galilaean  ministry  and  the  last 
Jerusalem  days  is  marked  by  four  facts:  the  wanderings, 
the  special  training  of  the  disciples,  the  declaration  of  the 
messiahship,  and  the  Master's  recognition  of  his  coming 
death.  With  the  last  the  transfiguration  experience  is 
concerned.  It  was  the  culmination  of  a  momentous  experi- 
ence in  which  the  final  battle  was  fought  and  the  strength 
was  gained  for  Jerusalem  and  death. 

The  Decision  to  Go  to  Jerusalem. — The  first  fact  that 
meets  us  here  is  Jesus'  decision  to  go  to  Jerusalem.  To 
his  disciples  it  was  utterly  astonishing.  They  knew  the 
situation  and  had  no  doubt  talked  it  all  over  among  them- 
selves. They  had  had  to  fiee  Galilee  because  of  peril  to 
Jesus'  life,  when  the  Pharisees  had  united  with  the  Hero- 
dians  in  their  plottings.  Apparently  they  had  returned 
to  their  old  quarters  in  Capernaum  but  once  since  that  time, 
and  then  only  for  the  briefest  stay  (Mark  9.  30;  Matt.  17. 
24) .  But  if  Galilee  was  dangerous,  Jerusalem  was  far  more 
so.  The  Pharisees  were  far  stronger  there  than  in  Galilee, 
while  the  powerful  priestly  party  would  have  even  more 
reason  for  opposition.  If  Galilee  spelled  danger,  Jeru- 
salem meant  certain  death. 

God's  Will  for  His  Life. — Why  did  Jesus  determine  to 
go  ?  The  first  and  principal  reason  was  that  he  saw  that  it 
was  the  will  of  his  Father.  Through  all  these  days  he  had 
been  following  the  guidance  of  that  Spirit  that  had  been 
with  him  in  boyhood  and  had  filled  him  with  a  fuller  bap- 
tism there  at  the  Jordan.  His  one  passion  had  been  to  do 
his  Father's  will,  his  one  confidence  had  been  his  Father's 


THE  TEANSFIGUEATION"  109 

care.  He  had  entered  the  doors  of  service  which  his  Father 
had  opened.  Now  these  were  closed.  In  Galilee  the  multi- 
tudes who  had  once  listened  and  rejoiced  were  turning 
away,  while  his  enemies  conspired.  To  go  to  Gentile  lands 
would  be  in  effect  to  give  up  his  mission ;  it  was  one  thing 
to  help  individual  Gentiles  here  and  there  as  he  met  them, 
but  the  Kingdom  could  not  be  built  upon  such  foundations. 
The  message  must  go  to  his  own  people  first.  But  that 
meant  not  merely  Galilee;  one  could  more  easily  think  of 
France  apart  from  Paris  than  of  the  Jewish  people  of  that 
day  apart  from  Jerusalem.  Here  was  the  work  for  which 
he  had  come.  As  to  what  lay  at  the  end  of  that  road,  that 
belonged  to  his  Father.  If  Jerusalem  meant  suffering  and 
death,  then  death  was  a  part  of  his  Father's  will  and 
purpose. 

Facing  the  Question  of  Death. — Thus  Jesus  was  brought 
face  to  face  with  the  question  of  his  death.  We  do  not 
know  how  early  he  had  begun  to  consider  this  issue  of  his 
work  as  possible  or  necessary.  It  would  seem  that  he  had 
considered  it  from  the  beginning.  It  was  present  in  the 
wilderness  days.  There  he  had  seen  that  his  way  was  not 
to  be  that  of  outer  rule  and  triumph,  but  of  humble  obedi- 
ence and  service.  As  he  himself  put  it  later  on,  "^The  Son 
of  man  is  come  not  to  be  ministered  unto,  but  to  minister.'* 
There  too  in  the  temiDtation  of  hunger  he  faced  the  ques- 
tion as  to  what  he  should  do  if  his  life  were  in  danger,  and 
the  clear  answer  was  that  he  was  to  do  his  Father's  will 
and  trust  him.  That  way  of  service  and  obedience  and 
trust  he  had  been  following  ever  since.  The  farther  he 
went,  the  more  clear  the  end  appeared.  He  spoke  to  his 
disciples  of  the  day  when  the  bridegroom  should  be  taken 
away.  The  close  of  John  the  Baptist's  life  stirred  him 
deeply,  and  he  saw  in  its  tragic  end  the  suggestion  of  what 
was  coming  to  him  (Matt.  17.  10-13).  His  mind  reverted 
to  the  great  figures  of  the  past,  the  prophets  who  had 
brought  Jehovah's  word  to  his  people.  And  the  people,  he 
knew,  had  not  changed.  Would  not  the  sons  of  those  that 
slew  the  prophets  do  the  same  with  him  (Matt.  23.  29- 
36)  ?     These   scattered  utterances   of   Jesus   are   indica- 


110  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

tions  of  how  his  mind  had  long  been  occupied  with  this 
question. 

The  Insight  of  the  Master. — Nowhere  do  the  spiritual 
insight  and  the  independence  of  Jesus  seem  more  wonder- 
ful than  here.  For  Jewish  thought,  the  idea  of  a  suffering 
Messiah,  defeated  and  dying,  if  it  had  ever  been  suggested, 
would  have  been  the  height  of  absurdity  or  even  blasphemy. 
So,  indeed,  it  seemed  to  them  later  in  the  Christian  preach- 
ing— "unto  Jews  a  stumblingblock."  The  passage  in  Isaiah 
52.  13  to  53.  12  about  the  suffering  servant  had  not  been 
connected  by  them  with  the  Messiah.  With  all  the  instruc- 
tion of  Jesus,  the  disciples  had  no  thought  of  anything  like 
this.  But  Jesus,  from  the  moment  that  he  confessed  liim- 
self  as  Messiah,  began  to  teach  them  "that  the  Son  of  man 
must  suffer  many  things,  and  be  rejected  by  the  elders, 
and  the  chief  priests,  and  the  scribes,  and  be  killed"  (^lark 
8.  31,  32).  His  death  was  to  accomplish  what  his  life  could 
not  do.  It  was  not  simply  something  strange  and  terrible 
which  obedience  to  his  Father  demanded ;  it  was  to  be  for 
the  saving  of  the  people.  He  was  to  "give  his  life  a  ran- 
som for  many.'' 

Jesus'  Use  of  Messianic  Scriptures. — This  same  insight 
of  Jesus  is  seen  in  his  use  of  Scripture  at  this  time.  It  was 
natural  that  he  should  seek  light  upon  his  path  in  the 
sacred  writings,  just  as  he  did  at  his  temptation.  There 
were  many  passages  in  the  Old  Testament  which  the  rabbis 
had  fixed  upon  as  Messianic.  Some  of  these  spoke  of  the 
Messiah's  power  and  glory  and  his  vengeance  upon  the 
nations.  Such,  for  example,  was  the  second  psalm,  held 
by  all  as  Messianic,  where  it  is  written : 

"Thou  Shalt  break  them  with  a  rod  of  iron; 
Thou  Shalt  dash  them  in  pieces  like  a  potter's  vessel." 

And  again,  to  the  nations : 

"Kiss  the  son,  lest  he  be  angry,  and  ye  perish  in  the  way. 

For  his  wrath  will  soon  be  kindled." 

Nowhere  does  Jesus  betray  the  influence  of  such  passages. 
He  passed  them  by  and  turned  to  the  one  from  Isaiah  (52. 


THE  TEANSFIGUEATION  111 

13  to  53.  13)  noted  above,  which  the  rabbis  had  not 
thought  of  as  Messianic.  In  this  great  passage  Jesus  read 
the  meaning  of  his  life  and  the  presage  of  its  end.  Its 
influence  appears  in  two  ideas  that  come  out  again  and 
again  in  his  teaching  at  tliis  time.  The  first  is  the  idea 
of  service:  "The  Son  of  man  came  not  to  be  ministered 
unto,  but  to  minister^'  (Mark  10.  45).  "I  am  in  the  midst 
of  you  as  he  that  serveth"  (Luke  33.  37).  The  second  is 
the  idea  of  sacrifice  and  suffering,  even  unto  death.  "If 
any  man  would  come  after  me,"  he  says  solemnly  after 
the  rebuke  of  Peter,  "let  him  deny  himself,  and  take  up 
his  cross,  and  follow  me."  These  two  thoughts  he  applies 
to  others  also.  There  is  a  third,  taken  also  from  Isaiah 
53  and  53,  which  he  applies  only  to  himself,  and  which 
occurs  in  but  one  saying  in  this  period.  But  though  it 
could  mean  little  to  the  disciples  at  this  time,  and  so  have 
little  place  in  his  teaching,  we  can  see  how  much  it  meant 
to  Jesus  when  he  declared  that  he  was  to  "give  his  life  a 
ransom  for  many"  (Mark  10.  45).  That  thought  changed 
his  death  from  a  tragedy  to  his  last  and  greatest  deed  of 
service. 

Upon  the  Mount 

The  Struggle. — The  transfiguration  experience  comes  in 
the  midst  of  this  struggle.  Here  and  there  the  Gospels 
give  us  a  glimpse  of  how  intense  the  conflict  was,  though 
nowhere  else  is  it  seen  so  vividly  as  in  Gethsemane.  It  was 
more  than  the  shrinking  from  an  awful  death.  It  was  the 
question  of  his  work  and,  in  the  end,  the  question  of  his 
trust  in  the  Father.  He  had  been  sent  to  establish  the 
Kingdom ;  how  should  the  work  be  done  if  his  enemies  thus 
triumphed  ?  What  would  become  of  the  little  company  that 
he  had  gathered,  his  beloved  friends  who  were  the  first- 
fruits  of  the  fellowship  of  the  Kingdom  ?  When  they  smote 
the  shepherd,  would  not  the  sheep  be  scattered  (Mark 
14.  37)  ?  Could  this  strange  and  terrible  way  indeed  be 
the  will  of  his  Father  ? 

The  Victory. — Thus  it  comes  that  Jesus  goes  up  into  the 
mountain.  He  goes  up  to  pray  and  he  takes  the  three,  not 


113  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

that  they  may  be  impressed  with  some  scene  of  glory,  but 
that  he  may  have  their  sympathy  aud  fellowship  in  his  hour 
of  need,  just  as  he  craved  it  in  that  later  hour  in  Geth- 
semane  (Luke  9.  28).  The  prayer,  as  in  Gethsemane,  was 
not  for  a  brief  period,  but  was  a  long  struggle.  Even  these 
three  were  little  fitted  to  understand  it,  and  soon  they  slept 
(Luke  9.  32).  But  the  conflict  issued  in  victory.  Here  too, 
as  at  the  baptism,  the  Father  spoke  to  him  in  clearest  assur- 
ance. Even  the  disciples,  when  they  awoke  at  length,  could 
not  but  see  the  glory  of  heaven  in  their  Master's  face,  and 
knew  that  this  mountaintop  was  a  Bethel.  What  was  the 
assurance  that  Jesus  received?  We  can  judge  of  that  by 
what  followed.  He  begins  again  to  instruct  the  disciples 
as  to  his  end  of  suffering  and  death;  he  had  received  the 
assurance  that  the  way  to  the  cross  was  the  way  of  his 
Father's  will.  But  not  only  this:  there  was  the  further 
assurance  that  he  should  live  again.  These  three  things 
henceforth  are  joined  together  in  his  thought :  Messiah- 
ship,  suffering,  and  resurrection  (Mark  9.  9;  Luke  9.  22). 

Pkeparing  the  Twelve 

"The  Son  of  Man  Must  Suffer."— There  remained,  then, 
the  task  of  preparing  the  disciples  for  such  an  end.  It  was 
not  an  easy  one.  Jesus'  acknowledgment  that  he  was  the 
Messiah  had  filled  their  minds  with  a  tumult  of  exultation 
and  high  hopes.  While  Jesus  was  thinking  of  the  hard 
road  that  lay  before  him  they  were  dreaming  of  future 
glory  and  power.  Now  he  must  show  them  what  Messiah- 
ship  really  meant.  Mark  tells  us,  in  words  that  follow 
immediately  upon  Peter's  confession,  that  "He  began  to 
teach  them,  that  the  Son  of  man  must  suffer  many  things, 
and  be  rejected  by  the  elders,  and  the  chief  priests,  and 
the  scribes,  and  be  killed,  and  after  three  days  rise  again." 
"Be  it  far  from  thee.  Lord,"  said  impulsive  Peter;  "this 
shall  never  be  unto  thee."  Deeply  stirred,  Jesus  answers. 
There  is  a  passion  and  a  severity  in  his  words  that  can  be 
understood  only  when  we  realize  the  struggle  through 
which  he  has  been  passing.     Here  is  the  same  temptation 


THE  TKANSFIGURATION  113 

to  save  himself.  The  same  tempter  is  speaking  whom  he 
met  in  the  wilderness,  and  who  sought  then,  as  now,  to 
turn  his  way  aside  from  God^s  will.  "Get  thee  behind  me, 
Satan,*'  he  cries  out  to  Peter,  the  rock  apostle  whom  he 
has  just  praised ;  "for  thou  mindest  not  the  things  of  God, 
but  the  things  of  men"  (Mark  8.  33).  He  himself  was 
deeply  conscious  at  the  moment  how  widely  God's  ways 
differed  from  the  thoughts  of  man. 

"They  TlnderstOGd  Not  This  Saying." — Luke  tells  us  that 
the  transfiguration  occurred  a  week  after  the  confession 
at  Cassarea  Philippi  (9.  28).  After  the  transfiguration 
Jesus  begins  again  to  speak  of  his  suffering  and  death  and 
resurrection  and  continues  the  instruction  as  they  go  upon 
their  way  (Mark  9.  9-13,  30-37).  It  was  still  beyond  their 
comprehension.  What  was  this  resurrection  ?  Was  not  Elijah 
to  come  first;  how,  then,  could  the  Messiah  appear  when 
Elijah  had  not  come?  This  last  question  they  brought  to 
Jesus.  If  men  only  knew  it,  Jesus  answered,  Elijah  is 
come  already.  And  if  you  could  but  understand,  you  would 
see  that  as  they  treated  John  (this  Elijah)  so  would  they 
also  treat  the  Son  of  man.  There  is  a  pathos  in  this  gulf 
that  separates  the  disciples  just  at  this  time  from  the  mind 
of  the  Master.  These  were  the  days  when  he  most  needed 
their  sympathy  and  comprehension.  At  the  same  time, 
realizing  how  short  a  time  he  would  be  with  them,  he  felt 
just  at  this  time  most  urgently  the  need  of  making  them 
see  this  meaning  of  the  sacrificial  life  and  of  his  death. 
But  their  minds  were  obsessed  with  the  old  ideas  of  kingdom 
and  rule.  Their  Master  was  the  Messiah,  what  should  they 
be  when  he  came  into  his  kingdom  ?  By  themselves  on  the 
way  they  argued  the  question  as  to  who  was  entitled  to  first 
place  (Mark  9.  34).  Luke  piles  up  his  phrases  to  indicate 
how  little  they  comprehended  of  what  Jesus  was  telling 
them  about  himself :  "But  they  understood  not  this  saying, 
and  it  was  concealed  from  them,  that  they  should  not  per- 
ceive it;  and  they  were  afraid  to  ask  him  about  this  say- 
ing" (Luke  9.  45). 

Later  Movements. — These  last  events  occurred  after  they 
had  left  the  north.    The  Gospels  do  not  tell  us  where  the 


lU  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

mount  of  transfiguration  was.  The  traditional  site  is 
Tabor,  but  it  was  probably  some  height  near  Caesarea 
Philippi  instead.  It  would  seem  that  after  leaving  this 
region  in  the  north,  Jesus  made  his  last  visit  to  Galilee, 
coming  at  length  to  the  old  quarters  in  Capernaum  (Mark 
9.  30).  It  was  no  time  for  him  to  take  up  his  public  work 
in  Galilee  again,  and  so  he  kept  hid  from  the  people.  The 
multitudes  had  apparently  lost  their  first  eager  interest 
and  it  was  not  hard  to  do. 

Directions  fob  Study 

Read  Mark  8.  31-38;  9.  1-13,  30-32.  Compare  with  this  Luke 
9.  21-36,  43-45. 

Recall  briefly  the  incidents  of  the  last  two  lessons:  the 
departure  from  Galilee,  the  wanderings,  the  simple  life  that 
Jesus  and  his  company  lived  together,  and  finally  the  con- 
fession. 

Keeping  the  Scripture  passages  before  you,  read  the  narra- 
tive above  and  study  the  three  main  questions  which  it  pre- 
sents. 

1.  Consider  the  problem  in  Jesus'  life:  the  way  that  pointed 
to  Jerusalem,  the  prospect  of  suffering  and  death  inseparable 
from  that  way,  and  the  problem  beneath  all  this  of  how  the 
Messiah  could  suffer  and  die. 

2.  Consider  in  the  light  of  all  this  why  Jesus  went  up  on 
the  mount,  and  what  happened  there.  It  might  as  truly  be 
called  the  mount  of  prayer  as  the  mount  of  transfiguration. 
It  would  not  have  been  the  latter  if  it  had  not  first  been  the 
former. 

3.  Consider  the  Master's  task  in  preparing  his  disciples  for 
the  end  and  the  wonderful  patience  that  he  showed.  What 
are  some  great  truths  that  mankind  has  been  slow  in  learn- 
ing? 

How  far  is  the  spirit  of  sacrifice  still  the  condition  of  leader- 
ship and  of  human  progress?  Why  has  Christianity  made  the 
cross  its  symbol? 

In  addition  to  Isaiah  52.  13  to  53.  12,  read  Isaiah  41.  8-11, 
42.  1-7.  These  passages  all  deal  with  the  "Servant  of  Je- 
hovah." Jesus  was  specially  attracted  to  this  book.  Recall 
his  use  of  Isaiah  61.  1,  2. 


CHAPTER   XV 

APPROACHmG  THE  CROSS 

Now  the  last  journey  begins.  The  little  company  turns 
toward  Jerusalem.  Whatever  the  disciples  may  have 
thought,  the  Master  knew  that  they  were  approaching  the 
cross.  That  fact  of  the  nearing  cross  we  must  constantly 
keep  in  mind  as  we  study  this  lesson.  We  look  at  Jesus 
in  its  light.  The  deep  and  tender  sympathy  is  still  there, 
but  there  is  a  sterner  note  as  he  speaks  about  what  disciple- 
ship  means.  We  gain  a  new  picture  of  Jesus  himself 
as  he  thus  enters  the  shadow  of  the  cross,  a  new  vision  of 
his  determination  and  courage.  And  the  disciples  too  are 
revealed  to  us  more  clearly.  How  do  they  meet  the  test 
and  what  kind  of  men  does  it  show  them  to  be  ?  With  their 
usual  frankness  the  Gospels  show  us  the  darker  and  the 
brighter  side  of  these  men. 

The  Test  of  the  Ceoss 

The  Steadfast  Face. — It  is  to  the  Master  that  we  turn 
first.  How  does  he  appear  now  that  the  bright  days  are 
behind  him  and  each  step  bears  him  nearer  to  the  great 
trial?  The  few  words  of  the  Gospels  are  like  the  simple, 
strong  strokes  of  a  master  painter,  setting  the  scene  per- 
fectly before  us.  "'And  it  came  to  pass,  when  the  days 
were  well-nigh  come  that  he  should  be  received  up,  he 
steadfastly  set  his  face  to  go  to  Jerusalem"  (Luke  9,  51), 
"And  they  were  on  the  way,  going  up  to  Jerusalem;  and 
Jesus  was  going  before  them :  and  they  were  amazed ;  and 
they  that  followed  were  afraid"  (Mark  10,  32),  We  see 
it  all  as  we  read  these  words:  the  Master  no  longer  in  the 
group,  but  going  on  before,  with  a  steadfast  purpose  and 
a  spirit  resting  upon  him  that  awed  his  followers;  the 
disciples  following,  amazed,  afraid,  and  yet  remaining  with 
him. 

115 


116  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

The  Confideni;  Christ. — There  is  one  word  of  Jesus,  prob- 
ably coming  at  the  beginning  of  this  journey,  that  shows 
his  spirit  in  this  hour.  It  was  perhaps  during  the  last 
hasty  visit  to  Galilee  that  a  few  Pharisees,  who  may  have 
been  friendly  to  him,  brought  him  word  that  Herod  Antipas 
was  waiting  to  seize  him.  Jesus'  answer  shows  his  scorn 
for  the  weak  and  crafty  king,  his  clear  realization  of  what 
his  final  lot  was  to  be,  but  beneath  all  this  a  deep  confidence 
in  the  Father  who  was  ordering  his  life.  He  sees  clearly 
enough  the  enemies  and  the  cross,  but  they  only  mean  the 
perfecting  of  his  work  according  to  God's  plan.  "Go  and 
say  to  that  fox.  Behold,  I  cast  out  demons  and  perform 
cures  to-day  and  to-morrow,  and  the  third  day  I  am  per- 
fected. Nevertheless  I  must  go  on  my  way  to-day  and 
to-morrow  and  the  day  following:  for  it  cannot  be  that  a 
prophet  perish  out  of  Jerusalem"  (Luke  13.  31-33). 

The  Disciples  Follow. — And  how  did  the  disciples  meet 
the  test  of  the  approaching  cross?  They  had  joined  him 
in  those  brighter  days  of  Galilee.  They  had  not  forsaken 
him  when  the  multitudes  turned  away.  They  were  with 
him  in  his  wanderings,  and  had  believed  on  him  as  Messiah 
in  the  hour  of  his  loneliness  and  danger.  Would  they  stand 
this  hardest  test  when  he  told  them  of  his  coming  death? 
Would  they  go  with  him  when  he  turned  to  Jerusalem? 
They  could  not  realize  the  full  meaning  of  his  warnings, 
but  they  did  know  that  Jerusalem  was  the  very  citadel  of 
their  Master's  foes.  And  yet  they  followed  him.  Peter 
and  the  rest  might  protest,  but  they  had  no  thought  of 
leaving  their  Lord.  It  was  this  that  stirred  the  heart  of 
Jesus,  and  moved  him  to  say  at  a  later  time,  "Ye  are  they 
that  have  continued  with  me  in  my  temptations"  (Luke 
22.  28).  It  was  another  instance  of  his  wonderful  power 
over  them  and,  despite  their  faults,  there  lay  in  this  loyalty 
the  promise  of  their  future  service. 

Lessons  by  the  Way 

The  Disciples  Still  Learning. — The  Gospels  show  us  the 
loyalty  of  the  disciples,  but  they  show  us  also  how  much 


APPEOACHING  THE  CROSS  117 

they  had  yet  to  learn.  The  shadow  of  the  cross  which 
brings  out  the  courage  and  devotion  of  the  Master  only 
serves  to  throw  into  sharper  relief  their  petty  quarrels  and 
ambitions.  The  journey  was  just  another  stage  in  their 
instruction.  Looking  back  to  these  days  after  their  Lord's 
death  and  resurrection,  the  disciples  must  often  have 
wondered  at  their  own  blindness  and  sorrowed  at  their 
littleness.  And  this  may  be  the  reason  why  they  preserved 
for  us  so  many  incidents  that  bring  out  these  facts.  That 
they  should  have  handed  down  these  stories  that  reflect 
so  upon  themselves  seems  like  a  form  of  penance  on  their 
part.  ' 

The  Lesson  of  Service. — The  first  of  these  incidents 
occurred  apparently  just  before  they  left  Galilee  (Mark 
9.  33-37) .  It  was  probably  not  very  long  after  the  acknowl- 
edgment by  Jesus  of  his  Messiahship.  While  his  thoughts 
were  burdened  with  future  danger  and  trial,  theirs  were 
filled  with  dreams  of  future  glory.  What  should  be  the 
rank  of  each  in  the  coming  kingdom?  Who  should  be 
first?  It  may  be  that  the  favor  shown  to  the  three  whom 
Jesus  took  to  the  mount  had  occasioned  the  controversy. 
Jesus  did  not  chide  them  for  being  ambitious;  it  was  not 
stupid  and  satisfied  men  that  he  wanted.  The  fault  lay  in 
having  wrong  ambitions.  The  first  place  in  my  kingdom, 
he  says,  means  service,  and  not  rule.  He  had  placed  a  little 
child  in  the  midst;  now  he  took  the  child  into  his  arms. 
It  was  a  simple  act  of  lovingkindness  to  some  unknown 
child  of  the  street.  Then  he  added :  To  receive  some  poor 
one  like  this  little  child,  that  is  to  receive  me,  and  not  only 
me,  but  the  Father  that  sent  me. 

The  Rebuke  of  Narrowness. — "Teacher,"  said  John,  "we 
saw  one  casting  out  demons  in  thy  name;  and  we  forbade 
him  because  he  followed  not  us.''  Here  was  the  same  spirit 
again.  Jesus'  kingdom  meant  to  them  position  and  pre- 
ferment. Here  was  a  man  taking  Jesus'  name  who  had 
not  been  regularly  admitted  to  their  circle.  He  might  be 
claiming  a  place  with  them  some  day.  How  often  this 
spirit  has  appeared  among  Christ's  followers  since  then, 
men  to  whom  office  in  the  church  means  authority  and 


118  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

rights  which  others  must  respect.  My  kingdom,  says  Jesus 
to  John,  means  service.  He  who  serves  belongs  to  us,  and 
we  have  nothing  to  fear  of  such.  And  no  matter  how 
humble  the  service  that  is  done  in  my  spirit,  it  shall  not 
fail  of  its  reward  (Mark  9.  38-41). 

The  Inhospitable  Samaritans. — The  brothers  James  and 
John  figure  in  two  other  incidents  of  this  period.  The 
first  occurred  in  Samaria.  Jesus  had  planned  to  stop  at  a 
certain  village  and  had  sent  messengers  ahead  to  arrange 
for  the  entertainment  of  his  company.  The  bitter  preju- 
dice which  the  Jews  held  against  the  Samaritans  was 
matched  by  that  of  the  Samaritans  toward  the  Jews.  When 
they  saw  that  Jesus  was  on  his  way  to  Jerusalem  they 
would  not  receive  him.  The  disciples  were  indignant. 
James  and  John  recalled  the  story  of  Elijah  calling  down 
fire  from  heaven  to  destroy  his  foes  and  they  proposed  this 
at  once.  Here  was  the  same  difference  again :  they  were 
thinking  of  power,  he  of  love;  they  of  rule,  and  he  of 
service.  As  some  of  the  old  manuscripts  of  the  Gospel 
put  it,  "The  Son  of  man  came  not  to  destroy  men's  lives, 
but  to  save  them''  (Luke  9.  51-56,  and  note  in  margin). 

The  Sons  of  Zebedee. — Now  the  strife  about  the  first 
place  in  the  Kingdom  comes  up  again  (Mark  10.  35-45). 
The  minds  of  the  disciples  had  not  grasped  even  yet  what 
was  the  meaning  of  the  Kingdom,  or  what  this  journey 
to  Jerusalem  signified.  Of  course  they  did  not  doubt  the 
word  of  Jesus  when  he  told  them  of  his  suffering  and 
death ;  but  he  had  spoken  many  strange  sayings,  and  this 
was  like  some  others  which  they  had  not  understood.  What- 
ever it  meant,  one  thing  was  certain  in  their  minds :  their 
Master  was  the  Messiah  and  he  was  coming  into  his  king- 
dom. So  the  strife  went  on.  They  had  been  ashamed  to 
have  Jesus  know  of  this  contention,  but  now  James  and 
John  took  the  matter  into  their  own  hands  (perhaps  with 
their  mother;  see  ]\Iatt.  20.  20)  and  came  to  Jesus  asking 
him  for  the  first  places  in  his  kingdom. 

The  Cost  of  Power. — And  so  Jesus  takes  up  again  the 
question  of  authority  and  power.  Tliey  are  asking  for 
places  of  power ;  are  they  ready  to  pay  the  cost  ?    Can  they 


APPEOACHINCx  THE  CROSS  119 

drink  his  cup  ?  Very  lightly  they  both  answer  yes.  They 
could  not  see  it  then,  but  they  learned  the  lesson  later. 
The  cup  of  Jesus  was  the  cup  of  pain  and  anguish  of  soul 
that  he  was  soon  to  drink.  The  throne  of  power  lay  beyond. 
We  see  his  power  to-day,  a  power  over  men  that  was  never 
so  great  as  now.  But  we  know,  too,  what  Jesus  knew  even 
then,  that  the  only  road  to  his  throne  lay  through  Getli- 
seniane  and  Golgotha.  And  then  Jesus  thought  of  what  lay 
before  James  and  John.  They  would  prove  true,  he  be- 
lieved; in  the  end  they  would  tread  this  same  road  of 
service  and  sacrifice  upon  which  he  had  entered.  They 
remembered  his  words  and  understood  them  later:  "The 
cup  that  I  drink  ye  shall  drink ;  and  with  the  baptism  that 
I  am  baptized  withal  shall  ye  be  baptized :  but  to  sit  on  my 
right  hand  or  on  my  left  hand  is  not  mine  to  give." 

The  Nature  of  Power. — Then  Jesus  calls  the  twelve. 
What  you  are  thinking  of,  he  says,  is  the  pagan  conception, 
the  idea  of  making  people  serve  you.  In  my  kingdom  it  is 
different.  I  am  with  you  not  as  lord,  but  as  servant,  giving 
my  life  for  men.  Do  you  wish  to  be  great?  Then  make 
yourself  a  servant.  Does  any  one  of  you  wish  first  place? 
Then  let  him  be  the  servant  of  all.  Power  in  my  Kingdom 
is  simply  power  to  serve. 

What  Discipleship  Demands 

Would-Be  Followers  Refused. — A  number  of  incidents 
of  this  last  journey  are  concerned  with  Jesus'  call  or 
refusal  of  disciples.  In  them  Jesus  seems  to  set  up  new  and 
more  exacting  standards.  To  understand  the  demands  of 
Jesus  we  must  remember  two  things:  First,  the  question 
at  issue  is  not  whether  these  men  are  to  believe  in  Jesus, 
but  whether  they  are  to  join  his  company  and  go  with  him 
to  Jerusalem.  Second,  the  time  of  peril  and  testing  is  at 
hand ;  in  his  company  there  is  room  only  for  men  of  abso- 
lute devotion.  These  facts  we  must  bear  in  mind  when  we 
read  of  the  two  whom  Jesus  refused  (Luke  9.  57-62).  One 
was  a  scribe,  as  we  learn  from  ]\Iatthew's  account  (8.  19). 
Perhaps  he  thought  of  Jesus  as  a  great  rabbi  from  whom 


120  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

he  might  learn.  There  was  sterner  business  on  hand,  and 
Jesus  made  him  feel  it.  "The  foxes  have  holes,"  he  told 
him,  "and  the  birds  of  the  heaven  have  nests;  but  the 
Son  of  man  hath  not  where  to  lay  his  head."  Another  said, 
"I  will  follow  thee.  Lord;  but  first  suffer  me  to  bid  fare- 
well to  them  that  are  at  my  house."  Jesus  read  the  half- 
hearted purpose,  and  knew  that  there  was  not  the  stuff 
here  to  stand  the  test  of  the  coming  days.  "No  man,  hav- 
ing put  his  hand  to  the  plow,  and  looking  back,"  he  de- 
clared, "is  fit  for  the  kingdom  of  God." 

An  Urgent  Call. — That  does  not  mean  that  Jesus  did  not 
care  for  more  followers.  On  the  contrary,  this  was  the  time 
when  he  wanted  men  of  utter  devotion  to  share  in  the 
great  work  that  was  coming.  And  so  we  read  of  two  men 
whom  he  himself  invited.  One  of  these  asked  for  permis- 
sion first  to  bury  his  father  (Luke  9.  59,  60).  It  seems 
a  simple  request  and  a  mark  of  filial  piety.  But  the  fast- 
ing and  ceremonies  of  such  an  occasion  in  that  land  in- 
volved days  of  time,  and  fitted  ill  with  the  urgency  of 
Jesus'  requirement.  Leave  those  that  are  dead  (spiritu- 
ally) to  bury  their  dead,  said  Jesus;  but  do  thou  publish 
the  tidings  of  the  Kingdom. 

The  Rich  Yonng  Ruler. — The  other  is  the  familiar  in- 
stance of  the  rich  young  ruler  (Mark  10.  17-31).  The 
brief  story  gives  us  clearly  his  picture.  Though  young,  he 
is  a  man  of  position,  a  synagogue  ruler.  He  is  a  man  of 
wealth.  j\Iore  than  all  this,  he  is  a  man  of  earnestness 
and  enthusiasm.  Despite  wealth  and  standing,  he  runs 
to  meet  Jesus  upon  the  way,  kneels  to  him,  calls  him  by 
the  unusual  name  of  Good  Teacher,  and  asks  him  for  some- 
thing further  that  he  may  do  to  inherit  eternal  life.  Such 
eager  earnestness  appealed  to  Jesus.  It  was  men  of  this 
kind  that  he  wanted  at  this  hour.  There  was  something 
personally  engaging  in  the  man.  So  Jesus  began  to  ques- 
tion him.  Have  you  kept  the  commandments?  he  asks. 
Significantly  he  specifies  those  of  the  second  table,  as  the 
Jews  were  accustomed  to  divide  them,  the  commandments 
that  concerned  a  man's  relations  to  his  fellows.  We  need 
not  question  the  honesty  of  the  man  when  he  answers, 


APPROACHING  THE  CEOSS  121 

"All  these  have  I  observed  from  my  youth."  Then  Jesus 
said,  "^Sell  whatsoever  thou  hast,  and  give  to  the  poor,  and 
thou  shalt  have  treasure  in  heaven :  and  come,  follow  me." 
To  the  young  ruler  it  was  a  severe  test,  and  Jesus  had 
not  asked  this  of  others;  but  danger  lay  before,  the  end 
was  near,  and  Jesus  must  have  followers  of  absolute  devo- 
tion. But  if  the  demand  was  great,  the  privilege  which 
Jesus  offered  was  greater;  it  was  an  invitation  to  join  the 
intimate  circle  of  his  personal  friends.  And  the  man 
refused.  He  had  no  doubt  been  sincere  in  his  question  and 
desire.  He  may  have  expected  Jesus  to  ask  him  to  give 
some  large  sum  to  the  poor,  or  to  build  a  synagogue.  That 
would  have  enabled  him  to  win  a  fine  reputation  for  gen- 
erosity and  still  to  keep  his  wealth.  He  had  done  many  fine 
things,  he  was  ready  to  do  more,  but  not  ready  to  "seek 
first  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  his  righteousness."  And 
he  went  away  sorrowful.  So  must  Jesus  also  have  done, 
who  had  looked  upon  him  and  loved  him,  and  had  coveted 
him  for  a  great  cause. 

Concerning  the  Journey 

The  Eoute  and  the  Company. — The  Gospels  give  us  no 
connected  story  of  this  last  journey.  We  form  our  picture 
of  it  from  a  few  items  given  here  and  there.  As  to  the 
route  that  the  party  took,  we  have  two  suggestions.  From 
Luke  we  learn  that  they  passed  through  Samaria  (Luke 
9.  52).  Mark  and  Matthew  say  that  he  came  into  the 
borders  of  Judaea  beyond  the  Jordan  (Mark  10.  1;  Matt. 
19.  1).  It  seems  probable  that  both  references  are  to  this 
journey  and  that  both  are  correct;  it  may  well  be  that  he 
started  through  Samaria  and  then  crossed  the  Jordan, 
taking  the  rest  of  the  journey  along  the  route  east  of  the 
river.  There  was  quite  a  company  with  Jesus,  a  score  at 
least,  probably  more.  There  were  other  disciples  besides 
the  twelve,  among  them  women  whom  he  had  healed  and 
certain  other  women.  At  least  some  of  these  were  women 
of  means,  for  they  helped  to  defray  the  expenses  of  the 
journey  (Luke  8.  1-3). 


122  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

The  Work  on  the  Way. — The  journe}-  must  have  con- 
sumed some  time.  But  though  Jerusalem  was  Jesus'  goal, 
there  was  still  work  by  the  way.  He  proclaimed  the  good 
news  of  the  Kingdom  as  he  went,  and  with  more  urgency 
because  of  the  nearness  of  the  end.  The  messengers  whom 
he  sent  ahead  probably  not  only  arranged  for  the  enter- 
tainment of  the  company,  but  prepared  the  people  for 
Jesus'  teaching.  We  learn  that  multitudes  followed  him, 
and  that  he  healed  as  well  as  taught  (Mark  10.  1 ;  Matt.  19. 
1,  2).  But  his  chief  concern  was  still  the  preparation  of 
his  disciples.  For  such  instruction  and  for  quiet  fellow- 
ship the  long  road  by  which  they  traveled  gave  abundant 
opportunity.  If  the  days  of  Galilee  were  wonderful  for 
these  disciples  to  look  back  upon,  what  must  not  have  been 
these  last  weeks  before  the  end  ? 

Directions  fob  Study 

Read  Luke  13.  31-33;  Mark  9.  33-41;  Luke  9.  51-62;  Mark 
10.  17-45. 

Briefly  recall  the  events  since  Jesus  and  his  disciples  gave 
up  their  work  in  Galilee,  as  we  have  studied  them:  the  journey 
to  the  coasts  of  Sidon  and  Tyre;  Jesus'  meeting  with  the 
Gentiles  in  the  person  of  the  Syrophoenician  woman;  the  train- 
ing of  the  disciples  in  the  quiet  of  retirement;  the  journey 
northward  to  Caesarea  Philippi;  the  great  moment  of  the  con- 
fession, and  the  word  to  Peter;  the  decision  to  go  to  Jerusalem; 
the  night  of  prayer  and  transfiguration.  Note  how  all  this 
prepares  for  our  study  of  to-day. 

Read  the  chapter  with  constant  reference  to  the  Scripture 
passages.     Try  to  get  the  following  clearly  before  you: 

1.  A  picture  of  Jesus  and  his  company  on  the  way:  the 
Master  earnest,  determined;  the  disciples  wondering  and 
following  behind. 

2.  The  strife  of  the  disciples,  its  cause,  and  the  lessons 
with  which  Jesus  tried  to  correct  this. 

3.  Jesus'  severe  demands  in  these  last  days  as  shown  (1) 
in  the  two  disciples  whom  he  refused,  (2)  in  the  case  of  the 
two  whom  he  called. 

4.  A  picture  of  the  journey  as  a  whole,  its  route,  the  number 
of  followers,  and  what  occupied  Jesus  upon  the  way. 

Discuss  the  place  of  devotion  (loyalty)  as  an  element  in 
character. 

Discuss  the  need  of  decision  as  an  element  in  succesa. 


CHAPTEE  XVI 

ENTEEING  JEEUSALEM 

As  was  noted  in  the  last  chapter,  the  probable  route  of 
this  last  journey  led  from  Samaria  across  to  the  east  of  the 
Jordan,  and  then  down  through  the  district  of  Persea. 
Then  the  road  recrossed  the  Jordan  about  where  the  Israel- 
ites crossed  of  old.  The  journey  from  the  Jordan  to  Jeru- 
salem was  not  an  easy  one.  For  five  to  eight  hours  the 
road  led  across  a  waterless  wilderness;  and  so  it  came  that 
the  road  usually  taken  was  by  way  of  Jericho,  the  rich 
city  surrounded  with  fields  and  gardens  forming  an  oasis 
in  the  midst  of  this  desert.  Jesus  had  apparently  planned 
his  journey  so  as  to  be  in  Jerusalem  during  Passover 
week,  the  presence  of  the  multitudes  in  the  city  at  that 
time  fitting  in  with  his  purpose.  On  the  other  hand,  there 
was  good  reason  why  he  should  not  reach  the  city  earlier, 
lest  he  should  be  seized  before  his  work  was  done.  Thus 
Jericho  afforded  a  convenient  last  stopping  place.  As  the 
entrance  to  Jerusalem  seems  to  have  been  made  on  the  first 
day  of  the  week,  it  is  quite  likely  that  Jesus  spent  the 
Sabbath  (Saturday)  in  Jericho. 

At  Jericho 

Zacchaeus. — The  route  by  Jericho  was  the  one  taken  by 
pilgrims  from  Galilee  and  Persea,  and  Jesus  must  have 
passed  through  this  city  many  times  when  attending  the 
great  feasts  at  Jerusalem.  He  may  have  been  here  during 
the  time  of  his  public  ministry  as  well,  but  there  are  only 
two  incidents  in  the  Gospels  connected  with  Jericho,  and 
both  these  occurred  at  this  time.  The  first  is  the  story  of 
another  man  of  wealth,  though  very  unlike  the  young  ruler. 

123 


124  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

The  young  ruler  was  a  Jew  of  exemplary  life  and  high 
standing :  Zacchseus  was  one  of  the  execrated  class  of  pub- 
licans. He  may  have  been  at  the  head  of  the  customs  house 
in  Jericho,  as  Levi  apparently  was  in  Capernaum.  It  would 
be  a  responsible  position,  as  Jericho  was  a  border  city  and 
important  trade  routes  from  the  east  and  north  passed 
through  it.  Or  he  may  have  been  connected  with  the 
farming  of  the  taxes.  In  any  case  he  was  a  high  official, 
a  "chief  publican,^'  and  very  rich.  The  news  of  Jesus' 
coming  had  preceded  him  and  throngs  were  awaiting  his 
entrance.  Zacchaeus  had  evidently  heard  of  this  astonish- 
ing rabbi  from  the  north  who  did  not  hesitate  to  associate 
with  publicans  like  himself  and  he  was  determined  to  see 
him.  There  must  have  been  more  than  mere  curiosity,  for, 
being  short  of  stature  and  unable  to  see,  he  threw  aside 
his  dignity  as  a  man  of  wealth  and  station,  and  climbed  a 
tree.  There  Jesus  saw  him,  read  his  eager  interest,  and 
invited  himself  and  his  company  to  be  guests  at  Zacchaeus' 
house.  Here  at  the  very  doors  of  Jerusalem  Jesus  went 
in  the  face  of  all  orthodox  rule  and  custom.  But  he  cared 
far  less  for  criticism  than  for  the  chance  of  winning  a 
man;  for  "the  Son  of  man  came  to  seek  and  to  save  that 
which  was  lost."  And  he  won  the  man.  While  the  Jews 
criticized,  Zacchaeus,  penitent  and  yet  joyful,  solemnly  de- 
clared his  purpose  to  Jesus:  "Behold,  Lord,  the  half  of 
my  goods  I  give  to  the  poor;  and  if  I  have  wrongfully 
exacted  aught  of  any  man,  I  restore  fourfold"  (Luke  19. 
1-10). 

BartimsBTis. — Zacchaeus  was  a  wealthy  official  and  Barti- 
maeus  a  poor  blind  wayside  beggar.  They  were  alike  in 
one  respect:  both  of  them  needed  the  help  of  Jesus  and 
were  earnest  in  seeking  it.  Bartimseus  had  no  one  to  lead 
him  to  Jesus ;  all  the  people  cared  for  was  to  stop  his  per- 
sistent crying  out.  The  cry  was  enough  to  stop  Jesus  at 
once,  and  the  faith  of  Bartimaeus  brought  the  answer: 
"Go  thy  way;  thy  faith  hath  made  thee  whole"  (Mark 
10.  46-52).  It  is  fitting  that  the  record  of  Jesus'  ministry 
outside  of  Jerusalem  should  close  with  these  two  deeds 
of  mercy,  for  Bartimaeus  and  Zacchaeus  represent  the  two 


ENTERING  JERUSALEM  135 

classes  to  whom  his  gracious  service  had  gone:  the  sick  of 
body  and  the  sick  of  soul. 

The  Entrance  into  Jerusalem 

The  Last  Week. — With  the  departure  from  Jericho  Jesus 
enters  upon  the  last  week  of  his  earthly  life.  It  is  in  sharp 
contrast  with  what  went  before.  We  note  its  character. 
(1)  A  week  of  appeal.  Jesus  asserts  his  Messiahship  and 
offers  himself  as  leader.  He  does  this  in  acted  or  spoken 
parable  rather  than  in  so  many  words,  but  his  claim  is 
unmistakable.  Before  this  he  had  been  publicly  silent, 
and  had  charged  his  disciples  with  silence.  (2)  A  week 
of  conflict.  He  comes  out  openly  against  the  leaders  and 
authorities,  and  seems  to  provoke  the  danger  from  which 
he  had  previously  turned  away.  He  is  not  blind  to  the 
peril  from  the  Pharisees  and  priests,  and  yet  he  seems  pur- 
posely to  challenge  them.  (3)  It  is  a  week  of  warnings. 
Again  and  again  he  solemnly  warns  leaders  and  people, 
calling  them  to  repent  before  it  is  too  late,  and  appealing 
to  the  people  to  leave  their  false  guides.  (4)  It  is  a  week 
of  danger.  That  danger  is  present  from  the  day  of  his 
entrance.  It  grows  more  imminent  each  day  because  of 
the  very  course  that  Jesus  takes,  until  there  comes  the 
inevitable  end. 

On  the  Way. — The  road  from  Jericho  to  Jerusalem  is 
only  about  fifteen  miles,  but  it  rises  some  thirty-five  hun- 
dred feet  in  that  distance.  "A  more  hot  and  heavy  way 
it  is  impossible  to  conceive — between  blistered  limestone 
rocks,  and  in  front  the  bare  hills  piled  high,  without 
shadow  or  verdure.  There  is  no  water  from  Jericho  till 
you  reach  the  roots  of  the  Mount  of  Olives"  (Smith,  His- 
torical Geography,  264,  265).  Jesus  and  his  company 
would  therefore  make  an  early  start  so  that  the  hard  climb 
might  be  made  in  the  cool  of  the  morning.  It  was  the  last 
stretch  on  their  last  journey  together.  Beside  the  Master 
and  the  twelve,  there  were  the  women  from  Galilee,  cer- 
tain other  disciples  who  had  left  Galilee  with  them,  and 
any  that  might  have  joined  him  on  the  way.     Bartimaeus 


126  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

may  have  been  among  this  number  (Mark  10.  52).  A 
couple  of  miles  outside  Jerusalem  lay  the  village  of 
Bethany,  where  we  are  told  by  the  fourth  Gospel  that  ^lary 
and  Martha  and  Lazarus  lived.  Here  the  company  prob- 
ably waited  till  certain  preparations  for  the  entry  were 
made. 

Jesus'  Purpose  in  Entering  the  City. — During  all  this 
period  that  we  have  been  studying,  we  have  watched  Jesus 
going  about  his  quiet  work  of  teaching  and  ministering, 
always  as  a  servant,  never  asking  attention  or  honor.  It 
seems  strange  now  that  he  should  plan  thus  formally  for 
the  manner  of  his  entrance.  Jesus  sends  two  of  his  disci- 
ples into  the  city,  while  the  rest  of  the  company  wait. 
They  go  apparently  to  the  house  of  a  friend,  for  they  are 
told  in  case  any  question  is  raised  simply  to  say,  "The 
Lord  hath  need."  Here  they  get  an  ass.  Seated  upon  this 
beast,  and  surrounded  by  his  followers,  Jesus  enters  the 
city.  It  was  all  very  simple  and  humble,  and  yet  it  was 
done  with  definite  purpose.  What  did  it  mean?  Among 
the  passages  generally  held  by  the  Jews  to  be  Messianic  was 
that  of  Zechariah  9.  9 :  "Eejoice  greatly,  0  daughter  of 
Zion;  shout,  0  daughter  of  Jerusalem:  behold,  thy  king 
cometh  unto  thee;  he  is  just,  and  having  salvation;  lowly, 
and  riding  upon  an  ass,  even  upon  a  colt  the  foal  of  an  ass.'* 
Jesus  was  speaking  here  in  action,  as  he  had  done  more 
than  once  before.  Even  in  this  last  week  he  does  not  yet 
say  in  so  many  words,  "I  am  the  Messiah  :'*  but  for  those 
who  would  understand  and  receive  it  he  was  declaring  the 
fulfillment  of  Zechariah's  prophecy  in  himself,  and  claim- 
ing to  be  the  Christ  (Matt.  21.  4,  5).  Significant  too  is 
the  passage  which  he  chooses.  By  this  picture  of  the  lowly 
teacher  sitting  upon  the  humble  beast,  accompanied  by 
friends  unarmed  and  humble  like  himself,  he  was  setting 
forth  plainly  what  manner  of  king  he  claimed  to  be.  This 
was  his  first  public  declaration  of  Messiahship. 

The  Enthusiasm  of  the  People. — Meanwhile  the  report 
had  spread  through  the  city  that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  was 
coming.  The  city  was  crowded  as  usual  with  pilgrims  who 
had  come  to  the  Passover  from  all  over  the  Jewish  world. 


ENTERING  JERUSALEM  127 

Many  who  had  not  seen  Jesus  would  have  heard  of  him; 
but  there  were  many  here  who  had  seen  and  heard  him. 
There  was  probably  not  a  city  or  village  of  Galilee  in  which 
he  had  taught  that  was  not  represented.  These  would  be 
the  first  to  go  out  to  meet  him.  It  is  true  they  may  not 
have  had  a  clear  understanding  of  Jesus'  message  or  any 
strong  allegiance  to  him,  but  they  knew  him  as  the  prophet 
and  wonder-worker.  Perhaps  the  Kingdom  was  drawing 
near,  as  Jesus  had  said.  Perhaps  he  was  the  forerunner, 
the  one  who  was  coming  in  the  name  of  the  Lord.  The 
crowd  increased,  the  pilgrims  being  joined  by  the  natives 
of  the  city.  Some  threw  their  garments  in  the  way,  others 
branches  taken  from  the  fields,  and  all  shouted  their 
hosanna:  "Blessed  is  he  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord:  Blessed  is  the  kingdom  that  cometh,  the  Jcingdom 
of  our  father  David :  Hosanna  in  the  highest  I" 

The  Protest  of  the  Pharisees. — The  enthusiasm  and  the 
cries  stirred  the  whole  city.  "Who  is  this?"  the  people 
asked  of  the  Galilasan  multitudes,  who  were  leaders  in  the 
demonstration.  It  is  significant  that  they  did  not  say, 
"This  is  the  Messiah,''  but,  rather,  "This  is  Jesus,  from 
Nazareth  of  Galilee,"  the  prophet.  The  Pharisees,  whose 
plans  were  probably  already  made  to  proceed  against  Jesus, 
were  angered  at  the  demonstration.  They  came  to  Jesus 
with  their  indignant  complaint:  What  did  he  mean  by 
allowing  such  expressions  from  the  people?  "I  tell  you," 
replied  Jesus,  "that  if  these  shall  hold  their  peace,  the 
stones  will  cry  out."  Once  he  had  restrained  such  expres- 
sions; now  he  takes  them  as  his  right.  His  words  added 
to  their  resentment. 

A  Challenge  and  an  Appeal. — The  entrance  into  the 
city  was  Jesus'  first  challenge  to  the  leaders,  to  be  followed 
soon  by  others.  It  is  probable  that,  even  if  the  common 
people  did  not,  these  shrewd  and  watchful  men  knew  what 
Jesus  intended.  It  was  a  challenge  to  the  people  also,  or, 
rather,  an  appeal.  It  was  for  this  that  he  had  come  to  the 
city,  not  simply  to  declare  his  Messiahship,  but  to  appeal 
to  his  nation,  here  in  the  proud  city  of  David,  to  see  in  him 
that  Son  of  David  to  whom  the  generations  had  looked 


128  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

forward.  Without  such  an  appeal  here  in  this  city  his 
work  would  not  be  done.  And  he  had  chosen  with  set 
purpose  this  week,  when  not  only  the  men  of  Jerusalem 
would  hear  him,  but  the  Jews  from  all  over  the  world. 

The  Cleansing  of  the  Temple 

A  Visit  to  the  Temple. — Jesus'  appeal  on  the  first  day 
had  apparently  been  without  word  by  the  simple  act  of  his 
entry.  By  the  time  he  came  to  the  temple  it  was  evening, 
and  having  looked  about  he  went  out  to  the  quiet  and  safety 
of  Bethany.  The  next  day  found  him  again  in  the  temple 
and  looking  upon  a  sight  that  must  often  have  grieved  him 
before.  Before  him  was  the  court  of  the  Gentiles,  the 
outermost  part  of  the  sacred  precincts.  This  was  the 
place  that  belonged  to  the  proselytes,  the  converts  to  the 
Jewish  faith  from  other  peoples,  and  their  presence  must 
have  appealed  to  Jesus  in  peculiar  manner.  Long  ago 
the  prophet  had  written  of  such  as  these:  "Also  the  for- 
eigners that  join  themselves  to  Jehovah,  .  .  .  even  them 
will  I  bring  to  my  holy  mountain,  and  make  them  joyful 
in  my  house  of  prayer:  their  burnt  offerings  and  their 
sacrifices  shall  be  accepted  upon  mine  altar;  for  my  house 
shall  be  called  a  house  of  prayer  for  all  peoples"  (Isa.  56. 
6.  7).  The  words  were  in  his  heart  as  he  gazed  on  the 
scene,  but  what  he  saw  was  very  different. 

"A  Den  of  Robbers." — The  temple  was  in  control  of  the 
priestly  party,  as  was,  indeed,  the  city.  This  does  not  mean 
the  common  priests  like  Zacharias,  but  the  coterie  of  which 
Annas,  former  high  priest,  was  the  powerful  and  unscrupu- 
lous head.  These  had  made  the  temple  not  merely  a 
place  of  merchandise,  but  literally,  as  Jesus  said,  "a 
den  of  robbers."  Nominally  for  the  benefit  of  the  pilgrims, 
they  had  turned  this  court  of  the  Gentiles  into  a  place  of 
business.  In  fact,  they  were  carrying  on  a  monopoly  with 
opportunity  for  unlimited  graft.  Here  were  the  tables  of 
the  money-changers.  The  temple  tax  of  half  a  shekel, 
due  once  a  year  from  every  Jew,  had  to  be  paid  in  the  old 
Jewish  coinage.     The  pilgrims  who  came  up  with  their 


ENTERING  JERUSALEM  129 

Grecian  and  Roman  coins  had  to  exchange  these  and  pay 
a  good  premium  in  so  doing.  Here  were  lambs  for  sale 
for  the  Passover  meal,  and  other  animals  for  sacrifice. 
It  would  be  very  easy  for  the  priests  to  refuse  to  approve 
animals  bought  elsewhere,  and  thus  practically  compel  the 
people  to  buy  them  here.  Such  a  monopoly  would  mean 
enormous  profits.  Out  of  regard  for  the  poor,  the  law 
provided  that  these  might  offer  a  pair  of  doves.  But  even 
the  poor  did  not  escape  their  clutches,  and  there  were  doves 
for  sale.  All  this  sordid  greed  Jesus  saw,  while  his  ears 
were  greeted  with  the  din  of  buyers  and  sellers,  the  bleat- 
ing of  sheep  and  the  lowing  of  cattle. 

The  Indignation  of  Jesus. — What  followed  certainly  does 
not  show  us  the  traditional  Jesus,  whose  gentleness  has 
too  often  been  conceived  as  a  kind  of  weakness.  Under 
the  indignities  heaped  upon  himself  he  could  remain  quiet, 
but  the  wrong  done  to  others  stirred  his  soul.  And  that 
was  what  caused  his  wrath  in  this  case.  It  was  not  so 
much  the  greed  of  the  priests,  or  even  their  robbery, 
it  was  the  religious  oppression  and  wrong.  Here  were 
the  multitudes  coming  from  Judaea  and  Galilee  and  lands 
farther  distant.  What  sacrifices  the  journey  had  cost, 
and  with  what  high  enthusiasm  they  came !  For  these 
men  from  all  nations  the  temple  should  have  been  waiting 
as  God's  house  of  prayer ;  instead  it  stood  defiled  by  greed, 
a  den  of  thieves.  We  are  told  that  Jesus  made  a  scourge 
of  cords.  He  did  not  need  it  so  far  as  these  men  were 
concerned.  It  is  true,  he  overturned  the  tables,  and  per- 
haps with  his  disciples  drove  out  the  cattle;  but  the  men 
fled  before  him.  There  is  no  mightier  force  than  moral 
passion. 

Why  No  Hesistance? — One  wonders  at  first  that  the 
authorities  did  not  resist.  The  Jews  had  temple  guards 
of  their  own,  and  the  Romans  also  kept  a  guard  near  by. 
How  quickly  these  Roman  soldiers  could  interfere  we  know 
from  their  sudden  appearance  at  the  time  of  Paul's  arrest 
(Acts  21.  32).  But  Jesus  had  two  allies.  One  was  the 
guilty  conscience  of  these  men.  The  other  was  the  sym- 
pathy of  the  multitude.     The  greed  and  oppression  and 


130  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

even  violence  of  the  priestly  party  were  notorious.  The 
people  had  suffered  and  been  helpless;  their  sympathy  all 
lay  vrith  Jesus.  The  priests  must  have  been  all  the  more 
angry  because,  for  the  moment  at  least,  they  were  helpless. 
If  they  had  been  indifferent  before,  they  were  now  his 
sworn  foes,  as  bitterly  opposed  as  the  Pharisees.  They  were 
of  that  class  of  men  who  are  stirred  by  nothing  so  quickly 
as  to  have  their  purses  touched;  Paul  met  that  kind  of 
hostility  in  Ephesus  years  later  (Acts  19.  23-27).  It  was 
but  a  matter  of  time  until  these  priests  would  find  their 
chance  for  vengeance  and  Jesus  knew  it  when  he  used  that 
scourge. 

DlBECTIONS   FOR  STUDY 

Read  Luke  19.  1-10;  Mark  10.  46-52;  Luke  19.  29-40;  Mark 
11.  15-18. 
Read  over  the  chapter  and  fix  its  events  in  mind: 

1.  The  stay  in  Jericho,  and  the  record  of  the  two  gracious 
deeds. 

2.  The  early  morning  journey  from  Jericho  to  Jerusalem, 
a  toilsome  journey  on  that  steep,  hot  road,  and  the  begin- 
ning of  a  week  of  burdens  that  we  cannot  measure  for  both 
body  and  soul  of  Jesus. 

3.  The  entrance  into  the  city,  the  preparation,  the  enthu- 
siasm, the  quiet  night  at  Bethany. 

4.  The  cleansing  of  the  temple  on  the  following  day,  a 
wonderful  deed  of  courage  and  power  and  the  presage  of  what 
the  next  days  were  to  bring. 

Study  now  more  closely  the  two  main  events  of  this  lesson, 
the  entry  and  the  cleansing.  Read  the  lesson  discussion,  but 
make  the  Bible  passages  themselves  the  main  subject  of  your 
study. 

1.  The  triumphal  entry.  Keep  in  mind  that  it  was  planned 
by  Jesus,  and  try  to  determine  its  meaning. 

2.  The  cleansing  of  the  temple.  Ask  yourself  how  Jesus' 
character  is  revealed  here,  what  picture  it  gives  of  the  reli- 
gious leaders  of  Jerusalem,  and  what  this  event  meant  in  the 
bringing  about  of  Jesus'  death. 

When,  if  ever,  is  physical  force  justifiable? 

What  qualities  of  a  true  soldier  did  Jesus  have?  What 
qualities  were  absent  that  too  often  appear  when  men  and 
nations  fight?     Upon  what  weapons  did  Jesus  rely? 

To  what  extent  are  our  social,  industrial,  and  political  ills 
(including  war)  caused  by  the  greed  of  gain? 


CHAPTER   XVII 

THE  MESSAGE  OF  WARNING 

Weiters  have  often  tried  to  indicate  just  what  happened 
day  by  day  during  this  last  week.  Despite  the  wealth  of 
the  materials  that  we  have  for  this  week,  we  cannot  write 
the  story  in  this  way.  The  purpose  of  the  evangelists  was 
not  to  write  a  chronological  record,  but  to  give  us  a  picture 
of  the  Christ.  How  wonderfully  the  Gospels  make  him 
stand  forth  before  our  eyes :  surrounded  by  dangers,  yet  not 
afraid;  beset  with  traps  set  by  cunning  foes,  yet  walking- 
with  sure  step;  met  with  refusal  and  enmity,  yet  warning 
and  entreating  to  the  end ;  conscious  of  what  awaited  him, 
yet  full  of  courage  and  confidence  in  God.  The  disciples 
must  have  had  their  share  in  the  events  of  the  week;  they 
probably  aided  the  Master,  for  example,  in  the  cleansing 
of  the  temple.  But  all  that  is  passed  by,  and  the  Gospels 
show  us  Jesus  only.  His  main  work  during  this  week  was 
that  of  teaching,  and  we  begin  with  his  message  of  warning 
to  the  people. 

The  Call  to  Repentance 

Parables  in  the  Last  Days. — The  picture  teaching  of 
Jesus,  familiar  to  all  students,  is  at  no  time  more  striking 
than  in  these  last  days.  His  very  entry  into  the  city  was 
a  parable,  in  which  he  set  forth  his  claim  to  be  the  Messiah 
and  his  character  as  such.  He  is  constantly  using  parable 
and  picture  to  bring  his  warnings,  to  assert  his  claims,  and, 
to  answer  his  foes.  Never  was  his  skill  as  a  teacher  more 
manifest.  If  he  had  declared  in  so  many  words  that  he 
was  the  Messiah,  he  would  probably  have  stirred  an  armed 
uprising  against  Rome.  When  he  put  into  picture  his 
charges  against  the  leaders,  they  could  not  escape  the 
meaning  and  yet  they  could  not  move  against  him. 

131 


132  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

Preaching  Repentance. — We  note  first  his  call  to  repent- 
ance. Here  in  Jerusalem  he  saw  the  need  even  more  than 
in  Galilee.  They  were  proud  of  their  temple,  of  their 
religion,  of  their  race,  these  Jews;  they  were  filled  with 
hate  of  the  Roman.  They  did  not  see  that  the  great 
obstacle  to  the  Kingdom  was  the  sin  in  their  own  hearts: 
the  greed  and  violence  of  the  priests,  the  hypocrisy  and 
bigotry  and  pride  of  the  Pharisees,  the  shallowness  and  in- 
difference of  the  people.  But  we  do  wrong  if  we  think  of 
Jesus  as  simply  plying  the  lash  of  scorn  and  condemnation. 
It  was  his  people,  his  city,  his  brethren;  and  he  bore  their 
sins  in  sorrow  and  anguish  upon  his  own  heart.  Jesus 
uses  two  incidents  to  enforce  his  call  to  repentance  (Luke 
13.  1-5).  It  seems  that  the  soldiers  of  Pilate  had  slain 
certain  Galilaean  pilgrims  who  were  offering  their  sacrifices 
at  the  temple,  an  event  that  fits  in  with  what  we  know  of 
the  character  of  this  ruler.  It  is  not  unlikely  that  those 
who  reported  this  to  Jesus  began  questioning  him:  Why 
did  these  particular  men  suffer?  Were  they  sinners  be- 
yond others  ?  Jesus  repudiates  this.  Why  such  evils  come 
he  does  not  tell  them.  But  one  thing  he  does  tell  them : 
"Except  ye  repent,  ye  shall  all  likewise  perish." 

The  Parables  of  Warning 

The  Parable  of  the  Great  Supper. — And  now  we  come  to 
the  series  of  great  parables  which  Jesus  spoke  during  these 
days.  Three  of  these  we  shall  take  up  in  this  lesson :  the 
parables  of  the  great  supper,  the  fig  tree,  and  the  vineyard. 
While  we  cannot  be  certain,  the  parable  of  the  great  supper 
was  probably  spoken  during  this  time  (Luke  14.  15-24). 
The  Jews  were  accustomed  to  picture  the  blessings  of  the 
Messianic  age  under  the  form  of  a  great  supper.  That 
explains  the  ejaculation  of  some  guest  at  the  table  who  said, 
"Blessed  is  he  that  shall  eat  bread  in  the  kingdom  of  God." 
It  was  one  of  those  pious  expressions  that  are  easily  uttered 
and  that  may  mean  very  little.  These  men  could  talk  beau- 
tifully about  sitting  down  in  the  kingdom  of  God,  but  they 
could  not  see  the  kingdom  of  God  when  it  came  to  them. 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  WARNING  133 

To  show  their  folly  and  sin,  he  tells  the  story  of  the  man 
who  made  the  great  supper  (Matthew  says  it  was  a  king 
who  gave  a  marriage  feast  for  his  son,  Matt.  22.  1-14). 
The  invitations  were  sent  out  in  advance,  and  then,  in 
leisurely  Eastern  fashion,  when  the  supper  was  ready,  the 
servant  went  around  to  bid  the  guests  come.  Such  a  feast 
was  a  high  privilege.  To  slight  such  an  invitation  was  an 
insult,  and  yet  these  guests  did  this  incredible  thing ;  they 
made  all  manner  of  excuses  and  refused  to  come.  There- 
upon the  master  of  the  house,  indignant  and  angry,  sent  out 
his  servants  to  bring  in  the  poor  and  blind  and  crippled, 
and  at  length  even  the  beggars  from  the  roadside,  and 
these  sat  down  at  the  feast  which  the  friends  had  scorned. 
Did  the  guests  at  the  table  with  Jesus  understand  his 
parable  ?  They  were  doing  this  same  incredible  and  foolish 
thing.  They  were  refusing  the  invitation,  and  meanwhile 
the  publicans  and  harlots,  the  outcasts  and  sinners,  were 
eagerly  receiving  the  message.  It  was  what  he  had  said 
once  before :  "Many  shall  come  from  the  east  and  the  west, 
and  shall  sit  down  with  Abraham,  and  Isaac,  and  Jacob, 
in  the  kingdom  of  heaven:  but  the  sons  of  the  kingdom 
shall  be  cast  forth"  (Matt.  8.  11,  12). 

The  Parable  of  the  Fig  Tree.— The  parable  of  the  fig 
tree  was  another  call  to  repentance  (Luke  13.  6-9).  A  cer- 
tain man  had  a  fig  tree.  It  occupied  valuable  ground,  it 
had  received  constant  care,  but  it  had  never  borne  fruit. 
The  vinedresser  begged  for  it  another  chance.  He  would 
dig  and  fertilize  again;  then,  if  it  did  not  bear,  it  would 
have  to  come  down.  The  nation  was  like  the  fig  tree.  It 
was  fair  enough  to  look  at;  but  where  were  the  fruits  of 
righteousness  that  it  should  have  borne  with  all  the  care 
that  God  had  given  it  ?  Where  were  the  humble  reverence 
and  mercy  and  good  will  ?  They  were  quick  enough  to  con- 
demn a  publican  or  one  like  the  woman  taken  in  adultery, 
but  the  nation's  sin  they  did  not  see.  And  he  was  like 
the  vinedresser,  digging  and  dunging  for  the  last  time. 
Would  they  repent  at  this  last  call? 

The  Deputation  from  the  Sanhedrin. — The  third  parable 
is  that  of  the  vineyard.    In  this  case  the  Gospels  give  us 


134:  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

the  special  circumstances  under  which  the  parable  was 
spoken.  It  was  apparently  the  day  after  the  cleansing  of 
the  temple  that  there  came  to  Jesus  a  deputation  of  "the 
chief  priests,  and  the  scribes,  and  the  elders,"  demanding 
by  what  authority  he  did  these  things  (Mark  11.  27,  28). 
Jesus  met  their  question,  as  we  shall  see  in  our  next  chapter, 
and  silenced  them.  Then  when  they  stood  speechless,  he 
turned  upon  them  and  gave  them  this  parable  of  warning 
and  condemnation  before  all  the  people.  It  was  this  that 
made  the  people  think  of  the  great  prophets  of  the  past, 
that  here  in  the  very  seat  of  their  power  Jesus  should  thus 
denounce  these  men  of  place  and  authority. 

The  Parable  of  the  Vineyard. — The  figure  of  the  vine- 
yard was  not  unfamiliar  (Matt.  21.  33-16).  The  psalmist 
had  employed  it  (Psa.  80.  8-19),  but  it  was  Isaiah  who  had 
used  it  for  the  purjjose  which  it  now  served  with  Jesus 
(Isa.  5.  1-7).  A  man  had  planted  a  vineyard.  It  had 
taken  money  and  time  and  thought.  He  had  set  out  the 
vines,  made  the  hedge  to  keep  out  animals,  built  the  wine- 
press, and  erected  the  tower  for  the  watchmen.  Such  land 
was  commonly  leased  either  upon  shares  or  for  a  fixed 
amount  of  its  product.  In  due  time,  accordingly,  the 
owner  sent  his  servant  to  receive  his  share  of  the  product; 
but  the  servant  came  back  beaten  and  with  empty  hands. 
Thus  they  treated  the  other  servants  also,  whom  the  owner 
with  marvelous  forbearance  sent  to  them  one  after  another. 
When  at  last  he  sent  his  own  son,  they  put  him  to  death, 
thinking  thus  to  get  the  latter's  inheritance  for  themselves. 
"When  therefore  the  lord  of  the  vineyard  shall  come,  what 
will  he  do  unto  those  husbandmen?"  asked  Jesus.  They 
knew  what  the  parable  meant.  Isaiah  had  already  made 
the  application  to  his  own  generation:  "For  the  vineyard 
of  Jehovah  of  hosts  is  the  house  of  Israel,  and  the  men 
of  Judah  his  pleasant  plant:  and  he  looked  for  justice, 
but,  behold,  oppression;  for  righteousness,  but,  behold,  a 
cry."  Jesus  was  charging  against  them  what  Isaiah  had 
charged  against  the  Israel  of  his  day.  Had  any  nation 
ever  been  privileged  and  cared  for  as  Jehovah  had  cared 
for  Israel  ?    Had  not  God  the  right,  then,  to  look  for  fruits  ? 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  WARNING  135 

And  what  was  it  that  God  wanted?  Not  their  show  of 
piety,  their  endless  sacrifices  and  tithings  and  washings 
and  Sabbath  observances.  It  was  justice  and  righteousness 
and  mercy,  as  it  had  been  of  old.  This  people  of  old  had 
killed  the  prophets  and  stoned  them  that  were  sent  to  her ; 
what  would  she  do  now  ?  The  last  and  the  greatest  of  the 
servants  had  been  slain ;  what  would  they  do  to  the  Son  ? 

Another  Assertion  of  Messiahship. — Here  again  Jesus 
sets  forth  plainly  his  claim  to  be  the  Messiah.  The  Mes- 
siah was  often  spoken  of  as  "the  Son,"  and  it  is  to  the  son 
whom  the  Lord  of  the  vineyard  had  finally  sent  that  Jesus 
compares  himself  here.  That  claim  Jesus  now  makes  in 
still  more  pointed  fashion.  "Did  ye  never  read  in  the 
scriptures,"  he  says, 

"The  stone  which  the  builders  rejected, 
The  same  was  made  the  head  of  the  corner; 
This  was  from  the  Lord, 
And  it  is  marvelous  in  our  eyes?" 

Openly  and  plainly  he  adds:  "The  kingdom  of  God  shall 
be  taken  away  from  you,  and  shall  be  given  to  a  nation 
bringing  forth  the  fruits  thereof."  Jesus'  bold  denuncia- 
tion of  these  leaders  and  his  claim  to  be  the  Messiah 
angered  them  equally.  What  he  said  was  perfectly  plain 
to  them,  though  the  people  probably  understood  it  but  in 
part.  And  yet  they  were  helpless.  They  did  not  dare  to 
denounce  him  for  claiming  to  be  the  Messiah,  for  that 
would  have  aroused  still  more  the  people,  who  as  yet  held 
him  only  for  a  prophet.  And  they  did  not  dare  to  try 
to  seize  him,  for  the  people  had  shown  plainly  on  the  day 
of  his  entry  and  at  the  time  of  the  temple  cleansing  that 
they  were  with  him.  But  the  people  themselves,  as  we 
shall  see,  were  not  ready  to  stand  on  his  side. 

Jesus'  Lament  Over  the  City 

The  Prophet  of  Sorrow. — There  is  no  harder  lot  than  to 
stand  as  a  prophet  of  warning  and  speak  words  that  you 
know  will  not  be  heeded.  Such  was  Jesus'  lot.  It  was  his 
to  give  the  appeal.    His  work  would  not  have  been  finished 


136  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

if  he  had  not  sounded  that  message  here  in  Jerusalem. 
Plow  did  he  feel  as  he  gave  this  message?  And  how  far 
did  he  realize  what  the  end  would  be  ?  There  are  two  say- 
ings of  Jesus  that  let  us  see  into  his  heart  at  this  time. 
They  show  that  Jesus  had  no  illusions  as  to  his  success; 
the  people  would  reject  him  and  the  city  was  doomed.  They 
show  us  too  how  deep  the  sorrow  of  his  heart  was  as  he 
thought  of  this  people  that  was  his  people,  and  this  city 
of  their  pride.  We  see  Jesus,  the  patriot,  forgetting  his 
own  terrible  fate  so  near  at  hand,  and  remembering  only 
his  nation,  his  brothers. 

His  Two  Sayings. — The  first  of  these  sayings  was  spoken 
by  Jesus  when  he  entered  the  city.  It  was  in  the  midst 
of  the  enthusiasm  of  the  disciples  and  the  shoutings  of 
the  multitude.  Jesus  knew  how  little  all  this  meant.  He 
was  looking  forward  to  the  end :  "If  thou  hadst  known  in 
this  day,  even  thou,  the  things  wliich  belong  unto  peace! 
but  now  they  are  hid  from  thine  eyes.  For  the  days 
shall  come  upon  thee,  when  thine  enemies  shall  cast  up  a 
bank  about  thee,  and  compass  thee  round,  and  keep  thee 
in  on  every  side,  and  shall  dash  thee  to  the  ground,  and 
thy  children  within  thee;  and  they  shall  not  leave  in  thee 
one  stone  upon  another ;  Ijecause  thou  knewest  not  the  time 
of  thy  visitation"  (Luke  19.  41-44).  The  other  saying 
shows  the  yearning  love  of  Jesus,  like  the  love  of  a  mother, 
in  words  among  the  most  beautiful  that  men  have  ever 
heard.  These  words  were  spoken  Just  after  the  terrible 
denunciation  of  the  scribes  and  Pharisees;  he  had  the 
courage  to  denounce,  but  his  deepest  heart  was  love.  "0 
Jerusalem,  Jerusalem,  that  killeth  the  prophets,  and  stoneth 
them  that  are  sent  unto  her!  how  often  would  I  have 
gathered  thy  children  together,  even  as  a  hen  gathereth 
her  chickens  under  her  wings,  and  ye  would  not !  Behold, 
your  house  is  left  unto  you  desolate.  For  I  say  unto  you. 
Ye  shall  not  see  me  henceforth,  till  ye  shall  say,  Blessed 
is  he  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord"  (Matt.  23. 
37-39). 

A  Terrible  Fulfillment. — Never  did  words  have  a  more 
terrible  fulfillment  than  that  which  came  to  the  lament  of 


THE  MESSAGE  OF  WAKNING  137 

Jesus  in  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  which  occurred  about 
forty  years  after  this  time.  The  priests  and  Pharisees  had 
refused  the  Prince  of  Peace  who  had  come  meek  and 
lowly  and  riding  upon  an  ass.  As  a  result  the  people  gave 
ear  more  and  more  to  fanatical  preachers  of  revolt  against 
Rome.  The  final  result  was,  against  the  wish  of  priest  and 
Pharisee,  a  futile  uprising  against  the  empire.  The  terrors 
of  the  French  Eevolution  are  probably  the  only  scenes  in 
history  which  may  be  fitly  compared  with  the  horrors  of 
the  siege  and  destruction  of  Jerusalem.  There  was  plenty 
of  courage  with  the  people  and  a  certain  kind  of  faith; 
but  what  one  feels  most  of  all  in  reading  the  story  is  the 
madness  of  the  people  and  the  selfishness  and  willfulness 
of  most  of  the  leaders.  Before  they  fought  with  the 
Romans,  they  began  fighting  among  themselves.  That 
fighting  continued  as  the  Romans  drew  near.  Three  parties 
under  arms  held  different  portions  of  the  city,  burning  and 
slaying  as  they  could.  Each  tried  to  burn  up  the  grain 
supplies  which  the  others  possessed,  thus  themselves  pre- 
paring that  awful  famine  which  did  as  much  as  Roman 
arms  to  subdue  the  city.  Only  when  the  Romans  actually 
began  to  assault  the  city  did  they  stop  warring  upon  each 
other  and  turn  against  the  common  enemy.  But  it  was  too 
late.  Some  fell  in  the  fighting,  and  they  were  the  most 
fortunate.  Many  perished  from  hunger.  Most  of  the  rest 
were  slaughtered  when  the  soldiers  entered  the  city.  Some 
were  carried  off  to  Rome  to  grace  the  triumphal  procession 
of  Titus,  whose  monument  is  that  arch  in  the  Eternal  City 
under  which  no  Jew  will  pass  even  to  this  day.  Over  a 
million,  Josephus  tells  us,  lost  their  lives  by  hunger,  flame, 
or  the  sword.  Nearly  a  hundred  thousand  were  carried 
off  captive,  while  countless  thousands  were  sold  as  slaves. 
The  picture  is  terrible  enough  even  if  we  discount  largely 
the  figures  of  this  historian.  One  little  company  had 
escaped  from  the  city  in  time,  the  Christian  community 
that  took  refuge  in  the  town  of  Pella  in  Perea.  Were  there 
any  besides  those  Christians  out  of  that  great  city  that 
remembered  the  words  of  Jesus:  "Behold,  your  house  is 
left  unto  you  desolate"  ? 


138  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 


Directions  for  Study 

The  Scripture  passages :  Luke  13.  1-9 ;  14.  15-24 ;  Matthew  21. 
33-46;  23.  37-39. 

Call  to  mind  the  events  of  the  last  chapter,  and  what  was 
said  there  of  the  last  week  as  a  whole. 

Read  through,  if  possible  at  one  sitting,  the  narrative  given 
above  with  the  Scripture  passages.  Then  take  up  the  details 
as  given  below. 

Read  Luke  13.  1-5:  Jesus'  message  of  repentance  is  given 
here  just  as  in  Galilee.  Note  how  ready  the  people  were  to 
condemn  others,  as  the  Galilseans,  or  the  woman  taken  in 
adultery  (see  John  8.  1-11).  Which  is  easier  for  us,  criticism 
or  repentance?  Note  how  little  Jesus  cares  for  a  theological 
discussion,  how  much  for  the  practical  reality. 

The  parables  of  warning.  What  were  the  advantages  of 
this  picture  form  of  teaching,  especially  during  this  last  week? 

1.  The  supper,  Luke  14.  15-24.  Read  Matthew  22.  1-14,  if 
you  have  time,  and  note  the  differences  in  detail,  illustrating 
the  variations  which  naturally  came  about  in  handing  down 
such  teaching  orally. 

2.  The  fig  tree,  Luke  13.  6-9.  Note  how  Jesus  takes  his  pic- 
tures from  common  life. 

3.  The  vineyard,  Matthew  21.  33-46.  Read  the  references  to 
Psalms  and  Isaiah.  Did  Jesus  gain  or  lose  by  using  here  a 
figure  familiar  to  his  hearers?  Consider  how  effectively  great 
speakers  and  writers  have  used  familiar  passages  or  phrases 
from  the  Bible. 

The  lament,  Luke  19.  41-44;  Matthew  23.  37-39.  Note  the 
different  circumstances  in  the  two  cases.  This  is  another  won- 
derful glimpse  into  the  heart  of  Jesus.  We  should  carry  this 
with  us  in  all  the  study  of  this  last  week. 


CHAPTER   XVIII 

FINAL  CONFLICTS 

The  last  week  was  a  week  of  warning,  during  which 
Jesus  made  his  final  appeal.  It  was  a  week  of  conflict  as 
well,  which  step  by  step  became  sharper  and  more  open. 
No  one  knew  better  than  Jesus  how  dangerous  was  the  path 
which  he  was  treading.  The  support  of  the  people  had  thus 
far  kept  the  leaders  from  taking  open  action  against  him. 
The  crowds  had  shouted  hosannas  when  he  made  his  entry, 
and  when  he  cleansed  the  temple  courts  they  had  approved, 
while  the  priests  stood  by  in  helpless  anger.  But  Jesus  had 
no  illusions  as  to  how  much  this  all  meant,  or  as  to  what 
the  end  would  be.  He  knew  that  there  was  no  deep  convic- 
tion back  of  this  enthusiasm.  The  time  had  come,  however, 
when  he  must  bring  the  matter  to  an  issue.  The  people 
must  choose  whom  they  would  take  as  leader,  the  scribes 
and  priests,  or  Jesus.  On  the  one  side,  therefore,  we  have 
the  efforts  of  the  leaders  to  entrap  Jesus,  and  this  we  shall 
study  first.  On  the  other  side  we  have  Jesus'  open  attacks 
upon  the  leaders,  And  this  forms  the  latter  part  of  our 
study. 

The  Attacks  Upon  Jesus 

The  Challenge  from  the  Sanhedrin. — The  first  assault 
upon  him  was  made  by  a  formal  deputation  of  the  leaders 
which  came  apparently  the  day  after  the  entry  and  the 
cleansing  of  the  temple  (Matt.  21.  23-27).  Mark  says 
this  delegation  was  composed  of  chief  priests,  scribes,  and 
elders,  which  suggests  that  they  came  from  the  Sanhedrin, 
as  this  was  composed  of  these  three  elements.  Their  ques- 
tion was  the  first  of  a  series  of  efl:orts  to  entrap  Jesus: 
"By  what  authority  doest  thou  these  things?"  It  was 
apparently  an  effort  to  compel  Jesus  in  so  many  words  to 
declare  his  Messiahship.    It  must  have  astonished  the  peo- 

139 


140  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

pie  to  see  this  young  prophet  from  Nazareth  turn  upon 
the  powerful  priests  and  revered  scribes,  and  rout  this 
imposing  body  by  a  single  question :  "The  baptism  of  John, 
whence  was  it?  from  heaven  or  from  men?"  They  could 
not  say  from  heaven,  for  they  had  refused  John's  call; 
they  dared  not  say  from  men,  for  the  people  held  John  as 
a  prophet.  And  so  these  reputed  leaders  and  teachers 
were  compelled  to  say,  "We  know  not." 

The  Answer  and  the  Parable. — It  was  a  skillful  counter, 
but  it  was  far  more  than  that.  Jesus  was  not  trying 
merely  to  silence  his  foes.  In  the  first  place,  he  had  an- 
swered their  question  and  in  such  manner  that  they  could 
not  attack  him.  His  authority,  he  indicated,  was  like  that 
of  John ;  it  came  from  God  himself  and  no  Sanhedrin  could 
impeach  it.  In  the  second  place,  he  had  indicted  them; 
they  could  not  deny  the  authority  of  John,  and  yet  they 
had  been  disobedient  to  his  message.  The  sinners  whom 
they  scorned  had  pressed  into  the  Kingdom  while  they 
stayed  out.  Then  Jesus  drove  the  rebuke  home  with  one 
of  those  parables  whose  meaning  they  could  not  evade 
and  whose  condenmation  they  could  not  escape  (Matt.  21. 
28-32).  The  sinners  who  had  responded  to  John's  message 
and  his  own  were  like  the  son  who  had  lightly  refused 
his  father  at  first,  but  who  afterward  repented  and  went. 
They,  in  turn,  were  like  the  second  son,  who  made  great 
protestation  of  obedience,  but  in  the  end  disobeyed.  Jesus 
never  minimizes  sin;  he  did  not  condone  the  sins  of  pub- 
licans and  harlots.  But  the  question  was,  who  obeyed  in 
the  end  ?  What  did  all  their  pious  assumptions  amount  to 
against  this  one  fact:  they  had  been  unrepentant  and  dis- 
obedient in  the  end? 

Pharisees  and  Herodians:  the  Tribute  Money. — After 
this  parable  of  the  two  sons  came  the  two  parables  of  warn- 
ing that  we  studied  last  week,  those  of  the  vineyard  and 
the  supper.  Then  followed  another  attempt  to  silence 
Jesus,  this  time  by  trying  to  discredit  him  with  the  peo- 
ple (Matt.  22.  15-22).  For  this  purpose  the  Pharisees 
sent  some  of  their  disciples  with  certain  Herodians.  Their 
attack  was  cleverly  planned.     They  would  first  disarm 


FINAL  CONFLICTS  14l 

Jesus'  suspicions  by  expressing  their  appreciation: 
"Teacher,  we  know  that  thou  art  true,  and  teachest  the 
way  of  God  in  truth,  and  carest  not  for  any  one."  Then 
they  would  put  their  question,  a  hotly  debated  one  at  the 
time :  "Is  it  lawful  to  give  tribute  unto  Caesar,  or  not  P' 
If  he  answered  no,  there  would  be  good  grounds  for  an 
information  before  Pilate.  If  he  answered  yes,  it  would 
alienate  the  people,  for  it  would  be  advising  them  to 
acquiesce  in  the  shameful  yoke  of  Eome.  But  again  Jesus' 
unexpected  answer  left  them  astonished  and  speechless. 
At  his  request  they  brought  him  a  Eoman  denarius;  and 
when  he  asked  whose  image  and  writing  was  on  the  coin, 
they  could  only  answer,  "Caesar's."  "Then  he  saith  unto 
them.  Render  therefore  unto  Caesar  the  things  that  are 
Caesar's;  and  unto  God  the  things  that  are  God's."  It 
would  be  wrong  to  take  these  words  of  Jesus  and  build  upon 
them  a  theory  of  the  relation  of  church  and  state,  or  how 
to  divide  the  religious  from  the  secular.  All  of  life  was 
religious  for  Jesus.  But  these  men  were  quibbling  about 
little  things  and  forgetting  the  great.  This  matter  of 
acknowledging  Eome  was  not  the  vital  thing.  As  a  matter 
of  fact,  they  had  recognized  Eome;  they  had  accepted  her 
government  in  fact  and  were  using  her  coins.  What  did 
it  matter  that  they  paid  taxes  to  her?  But  the  thing  that 
did  matter  they  were  forgetting :  to  give  to  God  the  things 
that  were  God's.  And  that  was  what  Jesus  was  concerned 
about,  here  as  everywhere.  It  is  even  yet  easier  for  us  to 
debate  religion  than  to  do  the  will  of  God. 

The  Sadducees:  An  Attempt  at  Ridicule. — The  next  at- 
tack was  from  the  Sadducees  (Matt.  22.  23-33).  These 
were  practically  limited  to  the  priests  and  their  party. 
They  were  the  aristocrats,  the  "old  families"  and  the  men 
of  position.  It  meant  a  good  deal  of  condescension  on  their 
part  even  to  notice  this  young  prophet.  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  they  intended  to  do  so  only  to  get  a  laugh  at  his 
expense.  They  knew  that  a  man  could  be  worsted  with 
ridicule  who  could  not  be  downed  with  other  weapons. 
Jesus,  of  course,  believed  in  the  resurrection  like  the 
Pharisees;  they  did  not.     Now  the  Law  had  prescribed 


142  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

(Deut.  25.  5-10)  that  in  case  a  man  died  leaving  no  chil- 
dren, any  surviving  single  brother  should  marry  the  widow 
and  the  first  child  should  be  considered  as  the  child  of  the 
man  that  had  died.  So  the  Sadducees  brought  their  foolish 
question,  of  itself  calculated  to  raise  a  laugh :  If  a  woman 
under  this  law  married  in  turn  seven  brothers,  to  which 
one  would  she  belong  in  the  resurrection  ?  Jesus  leaves 
their  trivial  question  to  one  side,  and  lifts  the  whole  mat- 
ter to  a  plane  of  faith  and  moral  earnestness  that  rebukes 
the  triflers  and  astonishes  the  people.  You  err  not  know- 
ing the  Scriptures,  he  says.  In  that  life  beyond  they 
neither  marry  nor  are  given  in  marriage.  Nor  do  you  know 
the  power  of  God,  with  your  denial  of  the  resurrection. 
You  profess  faith  in  the  God  of  Abraham  and  Isaac  and 
Jacob ;  but  he  is  the  God  of  the  living,  and  not  of  the  dead. 
** Which  Is  the  Great  Commandment  ?"— Not  all  of  the 
leaders  were  hostile  to  Jesus,  though  it  is  natural  that  we 
should  hear  mainly  of  that  greater  number  that  did  oppose 
him.  Luke  tells  us  that  some  of  the  scribes  who  had 
heard  this  reply  to  the  Sadducees  said  to  him,  "Teacher, 
thou  hast  well  said"  (Luke  20.  39).  It  would  seem  that 
the  next  question  put  to  Jesus  came  also  from  men  who 
were  honestly  testing  Jesus,  men  who  had  been  impressed 
with  the  way  he  had  worsted  the  Sadducees  (Matt.  22.  34- 
40).  Innumerable  commands  and  rules  made  up  their 
religion,  and  they  often  debated  the  query,  "Which  is  the 
great  commandment?"  It  probably  did  not  surprise  his 
hearers  that  Jesus  said,  "Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God 
with  all  thy  heart."  These  were  among  the  first  words  that 
Jewish  children  learned,  and  as  pious  Jews  they  repeated 
them  every  day.  But  it  was  something  new  that  Jesus  should 
add,  "And  a  second  like  unto  it  is  this.  Thou  shalt  love 
thy  neighbor  as  thyself."  The  legalism  of  the  scribes 
emphasized  all  these  rules  as  something  demanded  by  God 
and  done  for  him.  Jesus  showed  that  God  wanted  them 
first  of  all  to  love  and  serve  their  fellow  men.  In  still  an- 
other way  this  answer  shows  the  difference  between  the 
teaching  of  Jesus  and  that  of  the  scribes.  Their  religion 
was  a  matter  of  many  rules,  his  concern  was  with  the  inner 


FINAL  CONELICTS  143 

spirit.    The  man  who  had  this  inner  spirit  of  love  flowing 
out  to  God  and  man,  had  kept  the  law  and  the  prophets. 

Jesus  Attacks  His  Foes 

Why  Did  Jesus  Attack  the  Leaders? — Jesus  met  his 
foes  and  parried  their  thrusts.  But  he  did  more  than  this, 
he  turned  the  attack  upon  them.  His  teaching,  as  they 
had  clearly  discerned,  had  been  opposed  to  them  from  the 
beginning.  He  had  emphasized  the  inner  life  against  their 
outer  forms,  the  spirit  of  mercy  against  their  harsh  judg- 
ments, the  spirit  of  humility  against  their  pride  and  self- 
satisfaction,  the  love  of  men  as  pleasing  to  God  instead 
of  the  keeping  of  rules.  In  all  this  his  opposition  had  been 
more  or  less  indirect.  Now  he  attacked  them  openly  and 
by  name.  His  purpose,  however,  was  not  to  scourge  them 
or  abase  them.  He  was  fighting  for  the  people.  It  was 
not  from  anger  because  they  opposed  him  that  he  spoke. 
But  they,  who  should  have  led  the  people  into  the  King- 
dom, were  turning  them  astray.  They  were  the  (willfully) 
blind  leaders  of  the  (ignorantly)  blind  people.  It  is  nota- 
ble that  his  chief  attack  was  not  upon  the  priests,  for  these 
had  little  influence  with  the  people ;  it  was  upon  the  scribes 
and  Pharisees  whom  the  people  had  trusted  and  who  were 
the  real  leaders. 

We  may  divide  the  twenty-third  chapter  of  Matthew  into 
three  parts:  (1)  the  indictment  against  the  piety  of  the 
Pharisees,  1-12;  (2)  the  seven  woes,  13-33;  (3)  the  judg- 
ment and  the  lament,  31-39. 

1.  Pharisaic  Piety  Indicted. — Jesus  attacks  the  piety 
of  the  Pharisees  (23.  1-12).  They  had  stood  as  the  models 
of  devout  religion;  was  not  their  whole  life  given  up  to 
the  one  task  of  knowing  the  Law  and  keeping  it?  Jesus 
points  out  the  subtle  sin  of  pride  and  selfish  ambition  in 
all  this.  For  the  eyes  of  men  all  this  is  done  that  they 
may  have  praise  and  reverence,  that  they  may  rule  over 
men  and  be  called  "rabbi."  In  the  Kingdom,  Jesus  says, 
it  is  humility  and  service  that  count.  There  is  no  room 
for  masters  anions  the  children  of  one  Father. 


144  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

2.  The  Seven  Woes. — The  seven  woes  might  be  con- 
trasted with  the  seven  beatitudes  of  the  Sermon  on  the 
Mount.  They  are  really  so  many  charges  against  the 
scribes  and  Pharisees.  We  may  sum  them  up  as  follows: 
(1)  They  shut  others  out  of  the  Kingdom  and  will  not 
receive  the  truth  themselves,  verses  13,  14.  (2)  They  are 
always  trying  to  win  disciples,  only  to  make  these  worse 
than  themselves,  15.  (3)  They  claim  all  wisdom,  but 
they  teach  folly.  They  are  blind  quibblers,  allowing  one 
oath,  refusing  another,  not  seeing  that  men  should  swear 
by  nothing  at  all,  since  heaven  and  earth  are  full  of  God, 
16-22;  see  Matt.  5.  33-37.  (4)  They  pretend  to  so  great 
piety  that  they  go  beyond  what  the  Law  asks  and  tithe 
the  petty  garden  herbs.  Such  piety  is  a  sham  because 
they  leave  aside  the  things  that  really  count,  justice  and 
mercy  and  faith,  23,  24.  (5)  They  are  scrupulous  about 
all  manner  of  baptisms  and  washings,  but  they  forget  the 
inner  cleansing  and  are  full  of  extortion  and  excess,  25, 
26.  (6)  They  are  like  the  graves  which  are  always  white- 
washed just  before  the  Passover  so  that  men  might  avoid 
them  and  not  be  defiled  for  the  feast.  Like  these  graves, 
they  are  beautiful  from  without,  but  there  is  horrible 
corruption  within,  27,  28.  (7)  They  pretend  to  great 
reverence  for  the  holy  men  of  the  past,  building  beautiful 
tombs  for  the  prophets  and  declaring  that  they  would  not 
have  joined  in  the  slaying  of  these  men.  They  are,  in 
fact,  true  sons  of  their  fathers,  29-33. 

3.  Judgment  and  Lament. — And  so  there  comes  the 
judgment,  34-36.  The  measure  is  not  quite  full,  for  they 
are  yet  to  slay  Jesus  and  those  whom  he  sends;  but  it  will 
fall  upon  this  generation.  Last  of  all  we  hear  the  lament, 
which  we  have  considered  before,  37-39.  With  this  note 
of  sorrow  Jesus  ends. 

The  Anger  of  Jesus. — The  passion  of  Jesus  in  his  con- 
demnation of  the  scribes  and  Pharisees  has  seemed  to  some 
an  inconsistency  in  his  character.  They  have  found  this 
anger  hard  to  reconcile  with  his  spirit  of  love.  They  have 
failed  to  see  that  this  anger  was  but  a  part  of  his  love. 
His  flaming  indignation  sprang  from  his  very  mercy.    His 


FINAL  CONFLICTS  148 

anger  was  not  Hke  our  anger.  It  was  no  wrong  done  to 
himself  that  ever  stirred  him.  He  could  turn  the  left 
cheek  when  smitten  on  the  right.  But  it  was  different  when 
it  came  to  wrong  done  to  others.  His  condemnation  of 
these  leaders  was  his  hatred  of  sham  and  wrong  and  oppres- 
sion and  misuse  of  power  and  place,  and  all  this  was  a  part 
of  his  love  for  the  people.  There  can  be  no  high  love  of 
holiness  without  a  deep  hate  of  sin.  And  we  must  hate 
it  in  the  world  as  well  as  in  our  own  soul.  Much  that 
passes  as  generous  broad-mindedness  is  mere  indifference, 
or  moral  shallowness.  But  the  holy  anger  of  Jesus  is  not 
easy  for  us  to  attain.  Selfish  passion  is  apt  to  be  mixed 
in  it.  We  must  first  love  with  something  of  his  love,  and 
sorrow  for  sin  as  he  sorrowed,  before  we  can  speak  in  holy 
anger  as  he  spoke. 

Directions  foe  Study 

The  Scripture  passages:  Matthew  21.  23-32;  22.  15-40;  23.  1- 
39  (Mark  12.  28-34). 

Review  the  main  items  of  the  last  two  chapters,  trying  to 
grasp  this  last  week  as  a  whole  in  your  mind.  We  have  studied 
so  far  the  entry,  the  temple  cleansing,  and  Jesus'  series  of 
warnings  and  appeals.  Recall  the  three  great  parables  of 
warnings.    Now  we  have  the  conflicts. 

I.  The  Attacks  Made  Upon  Jesus 

1.  The  Sanhedrin.  This  included  priests  (mostly  Sadducees) 
and  Pharisees.  It  represented  the  highest  authority  religious 
and  civil.  Ask  the  three  questions:  What  did  they  want? 
How  did  they  proceed?    How  did  they  succeed? 

2.  The  Pharisees.  This  was  the  attack  of  orthodoxy  and 
piety,  so-called.     Ask  the  same  three  questions  as  before. 

3.  The  Sadducees.  These  were  the  liberalists.  There  is  a 
broadness  that  comes  with  great  convictions,  and  there  is  a 
seeming  broadness  that  is  merely  indifference.  The  latter 
describes  the  Sadducees.  They  were  trifling  even  here.  Only 
when  their  pockets  were  touched,  as  in  the  temple  cleansing 
(for  the  chief  priests  belonged  mainly  to  this  group),  were 
they  really  concerned. 

II.  The  Attacks  Made  By  Jesus 

1.  Note  the  men  whom  Jesus  attacked.  Why  the  scribes 
and  Pharisees  rather  than  the  priests  and  Sadducees? 


146  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

2.  Note  the  purpose  of  Jesus'  attacks.  He  was  not  simply 
striking  back. 

3.  This  explains  the  spirit  of  Jesus'  attack. 

-     4.  What  was  the  substance  of  his  charges? 

How  far  can  a  Christian  man  escape  fighting?  What  should 
be  our  attitude  toward  social,  political,  and  other  evils?  Name 
some  battles  that  need  to  be  fought  to-day. 


CHAPTER   XIX 

PREPAEING  THE  DISCIPLES  FOR  THE  FUTURE 

Jesus'  conflicts  with  his  foes  were  over;  the  last  en- 
counter had  taken  place,  and  they  were  making  plans  for 
his  end.  The  last  message  of  warning  had  been  given  to 
the  people  and  the  last  appeal,  until  the  mute  appeal  of 
that  hour  when  he  was  to  appear  before  them  as  prisoner 
condemned.  But  the  work  with  the  disciples  was  not  yet 
done.  He  had  told  them  of  his  coming  death,  though 
they  do  not  seem  to  have  grasped  it;  now  he  must  prepare 
them  further  for  the  future.  Above  all  two  things  were 
needful :  the  warning  of  duties  and  dangers  before  them, 
the  encouragement  of  the  final  triumph.  The  disciples 
themselves  put  the  question  which  gave  the  opportunity 
for  this  lesson. 

The  Message  Concerning  the  Future 

The  Destruction  of  the  Temple  Foretold. — Jesus  and  his 
disciples  were  leaving  the  temple,  probably  on  the  last  day 
of  his  public  ministry.  The  disciples  turned  for  a  last 
look  at  the  glorious  structure  which  lifted  its  shining  walls 
of  white  marble  decorated  with  gold.  It  was  the  pride 
of  every  Jew  throughout  the  world,  and  even  Roman  writers 
had  paid  tribute  to  its  splendors.  It  was  built  of  enormous 
stones,  as  much  as  twenty-four  feet  in  length  and  almost 
half  as  broad.  "What  manner  of  stones  and  what  manner 
of  buildings !"  exclaimed  the  disciples  in  admiration. 
"There  shall  not  be  left  here  one  stone  upon  another,  which 
shall  not  be  thrown  down,"  was  Jesus'  answer.  Deeply 
astonished,  four  of  the  disciples  came  to  Jesus  later  to  ask 
him  further  about  this,  and  thus  it  was  that  Jesus  began 
to  talk  to  them  about  the  future  (Mark  13.  1-37). 

147 


148  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

There  is  no  passage  in  the  Gospels  more  difficult  than 
this,  and  none  that  has  given  rise  to  more  controversy. 
Let  us  see  first  what  it  contains.  It  is  divided  into  three 
parts,  each  part  containing  a  declaration  about  the  future 
and  closing  with  an  exhortation.  (1)  First,  there  are  to 
come  terrible  occurrences  in  nature  and  among  men,  earth- 
quakes, famines,  wars,  insurrections.  This  is  called  the 
^'beginning  of  travail,"  a  phrase  used  by  the  Jews  to  de- 
scribe the  birth  pangs  that  were  to  precede  the  new  age. 
The  disciples  are  to  be  hated  and  persecuted,  but  those 
that  endure  shall  be  saved  (13.  5-13).  (2)  Then  shall 
come  the  terrible  trial  upon  Judaea  and  Jerusalem,  and 
the  destruction  of  the  city  by  the  Gentiles.  False  messiahs 
will  arise,  but  the  disciples,  forewarned,  will  not  follow 
them  (13.  14-23).  (3)  At  last  there  shall  appear  signs 
in  the  heavens,  falling  stars  and  eclipse  of  sun  and  moon. 
Then  the  Son  of  man  is  to  come  in  the  clouds  with  his 
angels  and  gather  his  followers  from  all  parts  of  the  earth. 
Let  the  disciples,  therefore,  watch  and  be  faithful  at  their 
tasks  like  good  servants  (13.  24-27). 

Its  Two  Interpretations 

The  Adventist  Theory. — There  are  two  ways  of  handling 
this  passage  which  we  may  consider.  The  first  way  takes 
it  literally  and  declares  in  effect  that  the  purpose  of  Jesus 
was  to  give  us  a  detailed  program  of  the  future,  just  as 
we  find  these  in  other  Jewish  writings  of  this  time.  Promi- 
nent here  is  the  interpretation  of  second  adventists  who 
in  their  many  forms  number  far  more  than  the  small 
denomination  bearing  that  name.  Those  who  hold  this 
view  spend  a  great  deal  of  time  discussing  the  ages  and 
stages  of  the  w^orld's  progress,  and  the  meaning  of  all  these 
"signs."  In  practically  every  generation  some  have  been 
found  who  were  sure  that  certain  earthquakes  or  famines 
or  wars  of  their  day  were  the  "signs"  that  indicated  the 
beginning  of  the  end.  These  interpreters  put  all  these 
events,  the  coming  of  our  Lord,  the  destruction  and  persecu- 
tion and  all  the  rest,  in  the  future. 


THE  DISCIPLES  AND  THE  FUTUEE       149 

Objections  to  This  Theory. — There  are  a  number  of 
serious  objections  to  this  theory.  (1)  We  must  study 
Jesus'  teaching  as  a  whole  in  order  to  understand  it  rightly, 
and  this  theory  does  not  represent  his  spirit  or  message  as 
we  have  seen  it.  The  Jewish  mind  was  full  of  such  dreams 
of  the  future,  but  Jesus  did  not  discuss  them.  Instead, 
he  talked  of  "'justice,  and  mercy,  and  faith."  That  was 
why  he  disappointed  them.  With  perfect  confidence  in 
God,  Jesus  left  the  future  to  him.  His  great  task  was  the 
present  one,  to  summon  men  to  repentance  and  faith  and 
righteousness.  (2)  There  is  much  in  this  passage  that 
refers  very  plainly  to  the  coming  destruction  of  Jerusalem, 
the  terrible  end  of  which  Jesus  had  warned  the  Jews  and 
for  which  he  was  now  preparing  the  disciples.  This  had 
its  fulfillment  a  generation  after  Jesus'  death.  (3)  It  was 
the  constant  habit  of  Jesus  to  use  picture  language  for 
spiritual  facts  and  events.  Witness  the  language  about  the 
temptation,  about  Satan  falling  as  lightning  from  heaven, 
and  the  parables  of  the  Kingdom.  To  literalize  everything 
here  is  to  pervert  the  intended  meaning.  (4)  If  these 
words  are  all  to  be  taken  literally,  what  shall  be  done  with 
those  passages  in  which  Jesus  clearly  declares  that  he  is 
to  return  within  a  lifetime  (Matt.  10.  23;  16.  28;  24.  34)  ? 
Eight  in  the  midst  of  Mark's  words  comes  the  verse :  "This 
generation  shall  not  pass  away,  until  all  these  things  be 
accomplished"  (Mark  13.  30).  To  make  generation  here 
mean  Jewish  race  is  to  do  unpardonable  violence  to  the 
plain  meaning.  And  if  the  reference  is  to  something  within 
a  generation,  then  why  apply  this  to  what  is  still  in  the 
future  ? 

The  Message  as  Practical. — The  second  interpretation  of 
this  message  may  be  called  the  practical  and  ethical.  By 
this  we  do  not  mean  that  Jesus  did  not  speak  of  the 
future.  On  the  contrary,  he  was  preparing  his  disciples 
for  that  future.  But  he  was  not  trying  to  satisfy  their 
curiosity  or  ours  by  a  portrayal  of  details.  They  will  have 
work,  and  he  wishes  to  make  them  ready;  they  will  have 
trials,  and  he  wishes  to  warn  them.  He  is  the  same  earnest 
practical  teacher  and  friend.    It  is  to  be  noted,  moreover. 


150  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

that  Jesus  did  not  speak  these  words  to  the  multitude,  nor 
even  to  the  larger  group  of  disciples  that  was  probably 
with  him  in  the  temple.  Matthew  says  that  these  words 
were  addressed  to  the  disciples  privately,  and  Mark  de- 
clares that  it  was  to  the  four,  Peter,  James,  John,  and 
Andrew. 

Has  Outside  Matter  Crept  In  ? — Many  scholars  hold  that 
outside  material  has  crej^t  into  these  passages  and  that  we 
no  longer  have  here  the  exact  words  of  Jesus.  They  hold 
this  in  particular  of  the  passages  Mark  13.  5-8,  14-20,  24- 
27.  It  must  be  remembered  that  the  teachings  of  Jesus 
were  passed  on  orally  for  a  long  time  before  they  were 
written  down,  that  the  minds  of  the  disciples  were  full  of 
such  hopes  and  ideas,  and  that  it  would  be  most  easy  for 
them  without  any  thought  of  changing  the  Lord's  message 
to  put  it  in  the  phrases  familiar  to  them  and  so  modify  it. 
This  is,  of  course,  but  a  theory,  and  cannot  be  proved  or 
disproven.  That  the  words  of  Jesus  were  not  always  ex- 
actly recalled  and  recorded  is  plain  when  we  compare  the 
accounts  of  the  Gospels  with  each  other  in  cases  where  they 
describe  the  same  event  or  report  the  same  saying. 

What  the  Message  Meant 

Its  Three  Elements. — Taking  now  only  what  is  clear  in 
these  passages,  Jesus'  essential  message  stands  out  plainly. 

(1)  He  foretells  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  and  its 
temple.  That  meant  far  more  than  merely  the  ruin  of  a 
wonderful  structure.  It  meant  that  the  altar  was  to  be 
overthrown,  the  sacrifice  and  solenm  ritual  to  cease.  It 
meant  that  the  religious  leadership  of  the  world  was  to 
belong  no  more  to  ancient  Israel,  but  that  a  new  Israel  of 
his  followers  was  to  take  their  place. 

(2)  Jesus  declares  that  he  will  return  to  set  up  his  king- 
dom. From  the  time  when  he  began  to  tell  them  of  his 
coming  suffering  and  death  he  had  also  told  them  of  his 
resurrection.  Now  he  declares  to  them  that  his  enemies 
are  not  to  triumph,  though  they  slay  him;  his  work  will 
not  be  defeated  by  his  death,  but  he  will  return.     This  is 


THE  DISCIPLES  AND  THE  FUTURE       151 

the  heart  of  his  message  and  this  glorious  confidence  in 
ultimate  triumph  sustained  him  to  the  last.  It  was  his 
Father's  will  that  he  should  suffer,  but  the  great  end  was 
sure. 

(3)  Finally  he  forewarns  his  disciples  of  the  suffering 
and  persecution  that  will  come  to  them,  but  declares  that 
those  that  are  faithful  shall  be  saved. 

A  Message  of  Encouragement. — The  message  was  first 
of  all  one  of  encouragement.  He  would  no  longer  be  with 
them  in  physical  presence;  how  would  they  stand  the  test 
and  bear  the  burdens  of  the  coming  days  ?  To  forewarn  is 
to  forearm,  and  he  tells  them  what  will  come.  They  are 
to  be  persecuted  and  brought  to  trial.  Let  them  be  brave ; 
God's  Spirit  will  guide  them  when  they  speak.  Judgment 
is  coming  upon  Israel  through  Israel's  enemies.  When  that 
time  comes,  then  the  disciples  are  to  flee  from  Jerusalem 
and  Judsea,  a  warning  which  we  know  from  history  was 
obeyed  by  the  church  in  Jerusalem.  But  the  Son  of  man 
will  return,  and  "Tie  that  endureth  to  the  end,  the  same 
shall  be  saved." 

A  Word  of  Admonition. — The  message,  in  the  second 
place,  was  one  of  admonition.  They  were  not  merely  to 
endure  in  hope;  they  were  to  watch  and  to  work.  Jesus 
was  thinking  not  simply  of  their  individual  welfare,  but 
of  the  work  which  they  had  to  do.  He  was  giving  them 
a  great  task ;  they  were  to  preach  the  good  tidings  to  men, 
they  were  to  administer  in  his  place  while  he  was  gone. 
He  was  leaving  everything  in  their  hands,  trusting  all  to 
this  little  group  which  he  had  been  training.  Could  he 
depend  upon  them?  Would  they  be  faithful?  The 
thought  must  have  rested  heavily  upon  his  heart.  And  so, 
as  a  part  of  this  message  of  preparation,  Jesus  speaks 
various  parables  which  all  center  about  the  ideas  of  watch- 
fulness and  faithfulness. 

Parables  of  Watchfulness  and  Faithfulness 

Three  Parables  on  Being  Watchful. — In  three  parables, 
or  likenesses,  Jesus  gives  the  lesson  of  being  watcliful.  There 


153  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

is  the  likeness  of  the  master  of  the  house  and  the  thief: 
watch,  for  you  do  not  know  the  hour  any  more  than  the 
master  knew  when  the  thief  was  coming  (Matt.  24.  43-44). 
There  is  the  parable  of  the  faithful  steward:  he  did  not 
know  when  the  master  would  return,  but  he  was  faithful, 
and  the  master  found  him  doing  his  work  (Matt.  34.  45- 
51).  The  parable  of  the  ten  virgins  has  been  used  to 
teach  all  manner  of  truths,  but  its  lesson  is  simply  this: 
be  watchful  (Matt.  35.  1-13). 

The  Parable  of  the  Talents. — The  most  suggestive  of 
the  parables  is  that  of  the  talents,  or  the  absent  lord  and 
his  servants  (Matt.  35.  14-30).  This  man  of  large  wealth 
had  to  go  to  another  country  for  a  long  period.  He  called 
together  a  number  of  his  servants,  men  who  were  really 
stewards  or  bankers  rather  than  servants  in  the  common 
sense.  To  one  of  these  he  gave  some  six  thousand  dollars, 
a  very  large  sum  for  that  time.  To  another  he  gave  twenty- 
four  hundred  dollars,  with  varying  amounts  to  still  others. 
Thus  he  put  his  wealth  into  their  hands.  Long  afterward 
he  returned.  These  men  had  finely  repaid  his  confidence. 
Indeed,  they  had  doubled  his  wealth,  and  now,  having 
proved  their  worth,  they  were  placed  by  their  master  in 
still  higher  positions  of  trust.  There  was  one  exception; 
one  man  had  let  his  money  lie  in  idleness  and  now  handed 
back  just  what  he  had  received. 

Here  again  we  must  not  read  lessons  into  all  the  details. 
Jesus  uses  such  a  parable  to  teach  one  great  truth,  and 
that  is  plain  in  this  case.  Be  faithful,  he  says  to  the 
disciples,  in  the  great  trust  that  I  have  committed  to  you. 
There  is  nothing  here  of  signs  and  seasons  and  feverish 
curiosity  and  calculations  about  the  return  of  the  absent 
lord.  The  lord  is  to  come :  that  is  enough  for  the  servants, 
meanwhile  let  them  do  their  work.  We  realize  to-day, 
as  the  disciples  could  not,  how  great  the  trust  was  that 
Jesus  was  putting  into  their  hands.  To  this  little  com- 
pany he  was  giving  not  a  few  thousands  of  gold,  but 
all  the  work  that  he  had  begun.  They  were  to  spread 
the  message,  to  gather  the  followers  and  shepherd  them, 
to  lay  the  foundations  of  that  kingdom  which  through  these 


THE  DISCIPLES  AND  THE  FUTURE       153 

centuries  has  been  growing  from  little  to  great  like  the 
mustard  tree,  and  permeating  the  world  with  a  new  life 
like  the  silent  spreading  leaven. 

The  Fulfillment  of  the  Message 

Jesus'  Expectation  of  His  Return. — So  far  we  have  been 
looking  simply  at  the  gospel  teaching.  Now  it  is  time  to 
look  at  history  and  ask :  Was  this  fulfilled  ?  Has  Jesus 
returned  ?  Or  is  this  all  in  the  future  ?  At  the  outset  we 
must  face  this  question :  Did  not  Jesus  expect  to  return 
personally  and  in  visible  form  within  a  generation?  Let 
us  divide  this  question  before  answering.  (1)  As  regards 
the  return  within  a  generation :  It  seems  certain  that  Jesug 
did  expect  this,  as  has  already  been  noted  (Matt.  10.  33; 
16.  28;  24.  34).  "Ye  shall  not  have  gone  through  the 
cities  of  Israel,  till  the  Son  of  man  be  come,"  he  says, 
when  he  sends  out  the  twelve.  A  little  later  he  declares, 
"There  are  some  of  them  that  stand  here,  who  shall  in  no 
wise  taste  of  death,  till  they  see  the  Son  of  man  coming 
in  his  kingdom."  (2')  Did  he  expect  to  return  in  visible 
form  ?  That  is  probable,  though  we  cannot  be  so  certain 
here,  for  the  words  which  speak  of  his  coming  upon  the 
clouds  of  heaven  (Matt.  24.  30),  which  are  taken  from 
Daniel,  may  have  been  used  by  him  in  picture  form.  We 
know  that  Jesus  did  not  return  in  such  visible  form  within 
a  generation,  nor  has  he  since  then  up  to  this  day. 

These  facts  have  proved  a  quite  unnecessary  ground  of 
stumbling  for  some.  What  we  need  to  recall  is  that  our 
Lord  came  to  reveal  to  us  the  Spirit  of  the  Father  and 
the  Father's  will,  and  this  he  did  in  his  life  and  word.  He 
did  not  come  to  satisfy  our  curiosity  about  all  things, 
nor  was  he  endowed  with  knowledge  as  to  all  things.  He 
was  endowed  with  perfect  wisdom  for  the  task  that  the 
Father  had  given  him.  He  humbled  himself,  Paul  says, 
and  came  to  us  as  man  (Phil.  2.  6-8).  The  Gospels  plainly 
show  us  this  limitation  of  knowledge  which  Paul  indicates 
that  he  took  upon  himself.  He  looks  to  the  Father  for 
guidance  and  direction  in  his  work  with  a  humility  and 


154  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

a  constancy  in  prayer  that  shame  his  disciples.  To  the 
very  last,  in  the  garden,  he  questions  whether  the  cup  of 
the  cross  may  not  pass  from  him.  He  knows  there  in  the 
garden  that  his  death  is  not  to  be  the  end.  He  knows  that 
his  cause  will  triumph  and  that  he  will  complete  the  work 
which  he  has  begun.  But  the  time  and  manner  he  does 
not  know.  Very  plainly  he  says  to  his  disciples:  "But  of 
that  day  or  that  hour  knoweth  no  one,  not  even  the  angels 
in  heaven,  neither  the  Son,  but  the  Father"  (Mark  13.  32). 
Over  the  limitations  that  the  Gospels  show  us  so  frankly 
we  do  not  need  to  stumble. 

In  this  teaching  of  Jesus,  therefore,  about  his  return  and 
the  coming  of  the  Kingdom,  we  distinguish  between  the 
substance  and  the  form.  So  far  as  the  form  is  concerned, 
Jesus  uses  more  or  loss  the  language  of  his  day,  just  as  he 
used  the  Aramaic  speech,  taking  such  a  picture  as  that 
from  Daniel  which  those  to  whom  he  spoke  would  clearly 
understand.  The  substance  lies  not  in  the  manner  of  his 
return,  but  in  the  fact.  It  is  the  same  way  as  to  the  time 
of  the  setting  up  of  his  kingdom:  it  is  possible  that  he 
expected  a  speedy  triumph.  If  that  be  true,  though  we 
cannot  be  sure  of  it,  then  we  must  say,  that  was  only  the 
form.  The  substance  was  the  conviction  that  his  kingdom 
was  to  come  despite  Jewish  bigotry  and  Roman  force. 

The  Confirmation  of  History. — Leaving  this  question 
as  to  the  exact  form  of  Jesus'  teaching,  let  us  turn  now 
to  the  substance  and  see  what  history  itself  has  to  say. 
What  has  happened  in  the  history  of  the  Kingdom  since 
that  time  ?  For  history  itself  is  a  revelation  of  God's  plan 
and  purpose.  First,  let  us  ask  as  to  the  return.  What 
a  wonderful  confirmation  there  has  been  of  Jesus'  confi- 
dence and  of  his  word  to  the  disciples !  Jesus  returned. 
One  might  better  say,  he  never  left  his  disciples.  He  did 
not  come  in  the  visible  presence  for  which  they  looked. 
We  know  that  Paul  and  his  churches  did  expect  such  a 
visible  return  in  their  day,  and  some  were  troubled  at  the 
thought  of  what  would  be  the  lot  of  those  who  had  died 
before  the  coming  (2  Thess.  4.  13-15).  We  know  that  later 
on  the  Christians  were  taunted  because  Jesus  did  not  appear 


THE  DISCIPLES  AND  THE  FUTUEE       155 

as  they  expected  (2  Pet.  3.  4).  But  God  had  "provided 
some  better  thing''  concerning  them,  though  they  did  not 
realize  it  at  the  time.  In  spiritual  presence  Jesus  was 
with  them,  guiding  and  aiding  them  in  all  things.  He 
was  present  as  spiritual  power  transforming  men's  lives 
through  the  Spirit  of  God.  Paul  realized  that  truth,  and 
he  calls  this  new  life  of  the  believer  sometimes  the  Spirit 
of  God  in  men  and  sometimes  "Christ  in  us."  There  were 
no  long  years  of  postponement,  not  even  till  the  fall  of 
Jerusalem.  The  Christ  was  present  in  the  Spirit  given 
to  the  first  disciples  at  Jerusalem;  and  his  Spirit  and 
presence,  illumining  men's  minds  and  creating  new  lives, 
have  been  the  world's  light  and  life  ever  since.  One  of  the 
worst  forms  of  unbelief  in  our  day  lies  in  the  failure  of 
Christ's  followers  to  see  the  presence  and  power  of  his 
Spirit  in  the  world  to-day,  not  simply  in  a  few  saints  or 
an  occasional  revival,  but  in  the  deep  currents  of  human 
life. 

Directions  for  Study 

The  Scripture  passages:   Mark  13.  1-37;   Matthew  25.  1-13; 

24.  42-51. 

It  is  most  important  to  understand  clearly  the  conditions 
under  which  Jesus  spoke  these  words,  and  his  purpose.  They 
were  spoken  privately  to  the  disciples,  and  with  the  practical 
purpose  of  warning  and  encouraging  them.  It  is  these  men 
before  him  whom  Jesus  has  in  mind  in  thus  speaking. 

Read  Mark  13  and  the  lesson  narrative  which  discusses  it. 
Notice  the  division  into  three  parts  as  suggested.  Then  con- 
sider the  threefold  message  that  is  pointed  out.  It  is  not 
necessary,  nor  is  it  possible,  to  understand  all  this.  For  one 
thing,  we  do  not  know  how  much  is  picture  and  how  much 
is  literally  intended.  What  is  important  is  that  we  shall  get 
the  message  of  encouragement  and  warning,  and  realize  what 
it  meant  to  these  disciples  in  the  days  that  followed. 

Read  with  care  the  parables  given  in  Matthew  24.  42-51; 

25.  1-30,  and  ask  what  these  meant  for  the  twelve  and  their 
fellow  disciples. 

Read  the  discussion  on  the  fulfillment  of  the  message,  and 
note  the  important  distinction  between  substance  and  form. 
Has  the  reality  been  greater  or  less  than  the  early  church 
anticipated?  Will  the  final  fulfillment  be  greater  or  less  than 
what  the  church  of  to-day  expects? 

What  is  there  in  the  world's  life  to-day  which  indicates  the 


156  THE  LIFE  OF  JESTJS 

presence  and  power  of  Christ?    What  will  the  completion  of 
his  reign  bring? 

Back  of  the  discussion  of  this  chapter  lies  the  larger  ques- 
tion of  the  nature  of  the  Kingdom  and  the  manner  of  its  com- 
ing. On  this  subject  read  Chapters  XVII  to  XX  of  "The  Teach- 
ings of  Jesus,"  a  companion  volume  to  this.  Note  especially 
Chapter  XX. 


CHAPTER  XX 

THE  LAST  SUPPER 

We  have  seen  how  Jesus  left  the  temple  in  the  evening, 
foretelling  its  destruction  and  preparing  his  disciples  for 
the  days  that  lay  before  them.  That  day  was  apparently 
the  last  day  of  his  public  ministry.  There  may  have  been 
a  day  of  quiet  in  between,  spent  with  his  disciples.  In  this 
interval,  according  to  Mark's  order  of  statement,  occurred 
the  supper  at  Bethany  and  the  anointing.  Then  on  the 
next  day  came  the  last  meal  with  his  disciples  and,  swiftly 
following,  the  terrible  events  of  the  ensuing  night  and 
morning.  In  these  last  hours  we  are  moved  by  the  tender 
solicitude  of  Jesus,  so  keenly  conscious  of  what  was  com- 
ing, yet  thoughtful  for  his  disciples  rather  than  fearful 
for  himself.  At  the  same  time  the  unconsciousness  of  these 
disciples  strikes  us  as  something  almost  tragic,  as  they  go 
on  dreaming,  quarreling,  loving,  but  unable  to  realize, 
despite  their  Master's  words,  that  the  end  is  near. 

The  Suppee  and  the  Anointing 

A  Deed  of  Devotion. — The  little  village  of  Bethany  lay 
just  outside  the  city.  Here  Mary  and  Martha  and  Lazarus 
lived,  and  here,  apparently,  Jesus  had  other  friends  as  well. 
He  had  no  doubt  visited  Jerusalem  year  by  year  at  the  time 
of  the  great  feasts  ever  since  that  first  visit  when  he  was 
twelve,  and  Bethany  was  probably  a  regular  stopping  place. 
Simon  the  leper,  as  Mark  and  Matthew  call  him,  may  have 
been  one  whom  Jesus  had  healed ;  if  so,  the  supper  was  his 
gift  of  gratitude  and  honor.  But  the  evening  brought  a 
greater  gift  to  Jesus,  and  one  that  called  forth  his  deepest 
appreciation.  It  was  no  breach  of  Oriental  custom  for 
those  who  were  not  invited  guests  to  look  into  or  to  enter 
the  room.  It  roused  no  comment,  therefore,  when  a 
woman  entered  during  the  progress  of  the  meal,  and  passed 

157 


158  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

around  behind  the  couch  where  Jesus  reclined  at  the  table. 
There  slie  brought  out  an  alabaster  bottle  filled  with  spike- 
nard, an  ointment  so  precious  that  only  those  of  great 
wealth  could  use  it.  Standing  behind  Jesus,  the  woman 
poured  the  whole  of  the  rare  and  costly  contents  upon  the 
Master's  head.  The  bottle  itself  she  had  already  broken, 
that  after  this  high  service  it  might  never  be  employed  for 
lesser  use  (Mark  14.  1-9). 

The  Appreciation  of  Jesus. — It  was  a  beautiful  deed. 
Its  meaning  was  not  measured  merely  by  the  cost  of  the 
ointment.  There  was  a  symbolism  in  the  breaking  of  the 
bottle,  and  a  special  fitness  in  the  time  at  which  this  tribute 
of  prodigal  devotion  was  paid.  And  Jesus  missed  none  of 
this.  As  we  watch  him,  we  have  another  evidence  of  the 
wonderful  completeness  of  his  character.  But  a  few  hours 
ago  he  stood  before  the  leaders  of  the  city;  all  that  was 
strong  and  heroic  was  in  that  scene.  He  knew  the  danger, 
but  was  not  afraid.  His  words  of  rebuke  were  like  the 
smiting  of  a  sword.  Here  everything  is  gracious  and  tender 
and  sympathetic.  He  is  the  Christ  of  little  children,  the 
Christ  of  the  loving  spirit,  appreciative  of  all  that  is  beau- 
tiful in  nature  and  in  the  hearts  of  men.  But  he  saw 
something  deeper  still,  which  the  woman  herself  could  not 
know.  All  unwittingly  she  had  anointed  him  for  the  burial, 
performing  before  his  death  that  last  service  of  sorrowing 
love.  In  the  hard  hours  of  these  last  days  the  woman's 
gracious  deed  was  doubly  appreciated. 

The  Criticism  and  the  Kebuke. — The  words  of  the  dis- 
ciples stood  in  unlovely  contrast  with  the  deed.  They  were 
blind  to  its  beauty  and  its  meaning.  They  criticized  the 
waste.  The  ointment  was  worth  three  hundred  denarii 
— about  sixty  dollars.  Why  had  it  not  been  sold  and  the 
money  given  to  the  poor?  The  rebuke  that  Jesus  spoke 
was  well  merited :  I  shall  not  be  with  you  long,  but  you 
will  always  have  the  opportunity  of  caring  for  the  poor. 
Then  he  added  his  tribute :  "Wheresoever  the  gospel  shall 
be  preached  throughout  the  whole  world,  that  also  which 
this  woman  hath  done  shall  be  spoken  of  for  a  memorial 
of  her."    There  is  a  sublime  confidence  here  that  we  must 


THE  LAST  SUPPEE  159 

not  overlook.  On  the  very  eve  of  defeat  and  death,  he 
knows  that  his  gospel  will  yet  be  preached  throughout  the 
world. 

The  Last  Evening 

Jesus'  Flan. — The  last  evening  had  come.  So  far  Jesus 
had  escaped  his  foes.  By  day  they  had  not  dared  to  seize 
him  on  account  of  the  sympathy  of  the  people;  by  night 
he  had  eluded  them  by  stopping  outside  the  city,  perhaps 
each  time  in  a  different  place.  Now,  however,  the  end 
was  at  hand;  his  work  was  done  and  their  plans  were 
ready.  This  last  evening  he  had  carefully  planned  to  spend 
in  privacy  with  his  disciples.  Apparently  as  a  measure 
of  safety,  Jesus  himself  had  made  the  plans  for  this  supper, 
arranging  with  a  friend  in  the  city  for  the  use  of  a  room. 
He  knew  how  imminent  the  peril  now  was,  and  he  wanted 
to  make  sure  of  this  evening  with  the  disciples.  Not  even 
they  knew  where  it  was  to  be.  When  the  time  came  he  gave 
two  of  them  directions  how  to  find  the  friend  who  was  to 
be  host,  and  how  to  make  preparations  for  the  meal  (Mark 
14.  10-16). 

The  Supper. — The  Gospels  differ  in  their  report  as  to  the 
nature  of  this  meal.  The  Synoptic  Gospels — that  is,  the 
first  three — state  that  it  was  the  Passover.  The  fourth 
Gospel  makes  clear  that  it  was  the  day  before  the  Pass- 
over. The  latter  is  probably  correct.  Some  have  thought 
to  reconcile  the  two  accounts  by  the  theory  that  our  Lord, 
knowing  the  end  at  hand,  had  arranged  to  eat  the  Passover 
one  day  earlier.  The  question  is  interesting,  but  not  im- 
portant. What  really  counted  that  night  was  not  any 
Jewish  rite,  but  the  words  of  our  Lord  concerning  a  better 
faith;  it  is  not  the  old  feast  which  they  left  behind  that 
concerns  us  so  much  as  the  new  covenant  which  he  estab- 
lished. 

A  Last  Opportunity. — To  this  last  hour  Jesus  had  looked 
forward  with  deepest  longing  (Luke  22.  15).  How  little 
these  men  yet  knew,  these  upon  whom  so  much  depended ! 
How  much  he  had  yet  to  tell  them !  And  then  there  was 
his  personal  affection  for  them.     They  were  his  friends. 


160  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

How  often  they  had  sat  thus  at  table  together  in  the  old 
days;  and  how  loyal  these  men  had  been  through  it  all, 
not  only  in  sunny  Galilee,  but  in  the  wanderings  to  the 
north  and  in  these  last  days  of  strife  and  peril. 

An  Example  and  a  Waening 

Washing  the  Disciples'  Feet. — Three  incidents  are  pre- 
served for  us  from  this  evening.  The  first  of  these  we 
owe  to  John's  Gospel  (John  13.  1-16).  When  they  arrived 
there  had  been  no  servant  present  to  remove  their  sandals 
and  wash  their  feet,  dusty  from  the  walk.  It  was  a  part 
of  hospitality  as  well  as  a  requirement  of  cleanliness  and 
comfort.  None  of  these  men  who  had  so  lately  striven, 
about  place  thought  of  taking  this  servant's  task.  So  Jesus 
himself  finds  basin  and  water,  lays  aside  his  outer  gar- 
ments, binds  a  towel  about  him,  and,  clothed  thus  like 
a  slave,  takes  up  the  humble  task  which  they  had  scorned. 
The  rebuke  went  deeper  than  words.  Shame  made  them 
silent  until  Peter  spoke  out,  for  Peter  could  not  bear  the 
thought  that  his  Lord  should  do  this  service  for  him.  Then 
Jesus,  taking  his  seat,  enforced  the  unforgettable  lesson 
which  he  had  given  them.  The  highest  privilege  in  his 
kingdom  is  that  of  service.  What  he  had  done,  they  should 
do,  to  count  it  their  calling  to  be  the  servants  of  all. 

The  Warning  of  the  Betrayal. — Judas  was  the  unenvia- 
ble center  of  the  second  incident,  Jesus'  announcement  of 
his  betrayal  (Mark  14.  18-21 ;  John  13.  21-30).  Jesus  had 
not  been  ignorant  of  what  had  been  going  on  in  Judas' 
soul.  He  had  read  in  his  face  the  dissatisfaction  that  had 
grown  into  disloyalty,  and  that  was  now  ready  for  be- 
trayal. He  had  used  every  influence  and  made  every  ap- 
peal, but  in  vain.  The  others  had  been  slow  enough  in 
learning,  but  at  least  they  had  remained  loyal;  this  one 
was  to  betray  him.  The  words  that  Jesus  now  spoke  in 
sorrow  may  have  been  meant  as  a  last  appeal  to  Judas : 
"One  of  you  shall  betray  me."  Brought  face  to  face  with 
his  intended  deed  and  seeing  that  Jesus  knew  it,  perhaps 
the  betrayer  might  yet  yield.    But  Judas  made  no  response. 


THE  LAST  SUPPER  161 

There  was  but  one  thing  to  do,  to  compel  Judas  to  leave 
so  that  the  sacred  fellowship  of  that  last  hour  might  not 
be  marred  by  his  presence.  Matthew  tells  us  that  Jesus 
pointed  out  Judas  before  them  all  (Matt.  26.  25).  It  seems 
more  probable,  as  the  fourth  Gospel  indicates,  that  Jesus 
spoke  to  Judas  in  such  manner  that  only  the  latter  under- 
stood. "What  thou  doest,  do  quickly,"  Jesus  said.  He 
then  "went  out  straightway :  and  it  was  night." 

The  Parable  of  the  Bread  and  the  Wine 

The  Last  Parable. — Judas  had  gone  out  and  the  supper 
was  drawing  to  a  close,  when  the  third  incident  took  place. 
How  often  in  the  days  now  past  had  these  disciples  lis- 
tened to  the  matchless  parables  of  the  Master  and  learned 
the  lessons  of  the  Kingdom  from  the  simple  objects  of  the 
daily  world  about  them !  Now  they  were  to  have  one  last 
parable,  a  parable  of  both  deed  and  word.  In  simplest 
manner,  while  they  were  finishing  the  meal,  Jesus  takes 
a  loaf  of  bread,  breaks  it  before  their  eyes,  and  gives  them 
all  to  eat.  "This  is  my  body,"  he  says  of  the  bread.  Then 
he  hands  them  a  cup  of  wine  to  drink,  and  when  they  have 
taken  of  it,  he  says:  "This  is  my  blood  of  the  covenant, 
which  is  poured  out  for  many."  So  Mark  reports  it  (14. 
22-25).  Paul,  writing  even  earlier  than  this,  the  oldest 
Gospel,  adds  these  words  of  Jesus:  "This  do  in  remem- 
brance of  me''  (1  Cor.  11.  23-25). 

What  It  Meant. — Unnumbered  times  since  then  has  this 
parable  of  the  bread  and  wine  been  reenacted,  in  great 
cathedrals  and  in  humble  chapels,  before  reverent  throngs 
or  at  the  bedside  of  some  dying  saint.  Often  it  has  been 
surrounded  with  pomp  and  overlaid  with  ceremony,  while 
the  words  were  spoken  in  a  tongue  the  people  could  not 
understand  and  the  whole  transformed  into  a  priestly  act 
of  magical  power.  While  Roman  Catholicism  has  done 
this,  Protestantism  has  sometimes  tended  to  hide  the  mean- 
ing by  its  elaborate  doctrines.  Our  first  task  here  is  not  to 
discuss  the  doctrine  of  the  Supper  or  of  the  Lord's  death, 
but  to  tell  what  occurred,  and  to  ask  what  Jesus  meant 


162  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

by  it.    In  doing  so,  we  shall  follow  the  simpler  and  older 
accounts  of  Mark  and  Paul. 

These  words  and  this  act  of  Jesus  were  first  of  all  in- 
tended for  the  twelve.  It  was  his  last  lesson  to  them,  his  last 
effort  to  prepare  them  for  what  was  coming.  ]\lark's  ac- 
count makes  plain  three  things:  (1)  Jesus  again  foretells 
his  death.  His  body  is  like  this  bread,  about  to  be  broken. 
His  blood  is  to  be  poured  out  like  this  wine.  They  had 
heard,  but  hardly  believed,  when  he  told  them  just  now 
that  one  of  their  own  number  should  betray  him;  now 
he  warns  them  again  of  his  death. 

(2)  In  some  way  his  death  is  to  be  for  them:  "This  is 
my  blood  of  the  covenant,  which  is  poured  out  for  many." 
He  has  said  before  that  his  life  is  to  be  given  a  ransom 
for  many.  He  does  not  explain  it  further,  nor  have  all  the 
theologians  since  that  day  explained  its  full  meaning.  But 
the  world  of  his  followers  since  that  day  has  seen  in  his 
death,  in  some  manner,  the  holy  love  of  God  and  the  power 
of  God  saving  the  world  from  sin.  This  was  not  some- 
thing that  happened  to  Jesus,  but  something  done  by  Jesus 
and  done  for  them.  The  theories  of  the  atonement  have 
often  been  crude,  but  the  experience  has  been  wonderful 
and  real. 

(3)  His  death  is  to  establish  a  new  covenant.  Their 
minds,  filled  with  the  thoughts  of  Passover  week,  were 
prepared  for  this  comparison.  As  the  blood  of  the  first 
Passover  marked  the  old  covenant,  so  his  blood  was  to  seal 
a  new  covenant  between  God  and  man.  The  prophet 
Jeremiah  had  spoken  long  years  before  of  such  a  covenant, 
in  one  of  the  noblest  passages  in  the  Old  Testament  (Jer. 
31.  31-34),  declaring  how  God  should  write  his  laws  upon 
human  hearts,  and  not  upon  tables  of  stone;  how  religion 
should  be  a  life  within,  and  not  a  rule  without.  Now 
Jesus  asserts  that  the  time  of  this  new  covenant  is  come 
and  that  his  death  shall  seal  its  gift.  In  this  moment, 
when  he  faces  death,  his  faith  triumphs  again.  What  he 
sees  is  not  a  terrible  end,  but  the  beginning  of  a  new  age. 
And  the  world  has  counted  its  new  age  from  that  day. 

Some  Further  Meanings. — Such  was  the  meaning  which 


THE  LAST  SUPPER  163 

Jesus  meant  to  convey  to  his  disciples  by  his  words  and 
acts  on  that  evening  long  ago.  It  is  important  that  we 
go  back  of  the  theories  and  customs  of  to-day  to  this  first 
simple  message.  We  need  not  overlook,  however,  the  won- 
derful lessons  which  the  Supper,  repeated  as  a  memorial 
rite,  has  had  for  the  church  ever  since.  In  this  symbol 
of  Christ's  suffering  and  death  men  have  seen  the  meaning 
of  their  sin  and  made  it  a  time  of  confession.  They  have 
seen  here  God's  great  gift  of  forgiving  love  and  made  it  a 
feast  of  solemn  joy  as  well.  It  has  been  called  the  Holy 
Communion:  a  communion  with  Christ,  not  physical  or 
magical,  but  a  communion  of  the  spirit,  in  which  men  have 
been  filled  with  Christ's  spirit  of  obedience  and  love  and 
sacrifice.  At  the  same  time  it  has  meant  the  communion 
of  believers  among  themselves;  an  early  Christian  writer 
uses  the  figure  of  the  loaf  of  bread  in  which  the  scattered 
grains  of  wheat  are  joined  together. 

Directions  for  Study 

The  Scripture  passages:  Mark  14.  1-25;  (John  13.  1-30;  1 
Cor.  11.  23-25). 

Think  of  this  chapter  as  marking  a  bit  of  peaceful  road  for 
the  Master,  lying  between  the  conflicts  past  and  the  terrible 
day  that  waited. 

The  chapter  deals  with  two  suppers,  the  first  being  that  at 
Bethany.  What  the  woman  did  to  Jesus  and  what  Jesus 
said  about  the  woman  are  the  notable  items.  Read  this  chap- 
ter with  Mark's  account  open  before  you.  Try  to  think  your- 
self into  the  circumstances  so  as  to  appreciate  how  Jesus  felt 
about  the  anointing. 

We  hear  a  great  deal  of  the  efficient  life.  We  must  not  for- 
get the  ideal  of  the  complete  life.  What  are  some  things 
needed  for  the  complete  life  beside  work  and  bread?  Did 
Jesus  appreciate  this? 

As  to  the  Last  Supper,  read  the  passage  in  Mark  and  the 
reference  in  John.  Now,  as  you  read  the  discussion,  note  how 
carefully  Jesus  planned  for  this  evening.  What  did  it  mean 
to  him?  Consider  the  three  events  connected  with  the  eve- 
ning: the  washing  of  the  feet,  the  warning  about  Judas'  be- 
trayal, and  then  the  announcement  of  the  new  covenant 
through  his  death  which  we  call  the  institution  of  the  Lord's 
Supper. 

What  truths  does  the  Lord's  Supper  set  forth  for  us  to-day? 
What  practical  lessons? 


CHAPTER   XXI 

GETHSEMANE 

We  do  not  know  how  long  Jesus  and  his  friends  talked 
together  on  that  last  night,  but  it  must  have  been  midnight 
or  after  when  they  finally  went  forth.  Even  yet  the  disci- 
ples did  not  realize  what  that  last  journey  meant.  But 
Jesus  knew.  Yonder  were  the  plotting  priests,  with  Judas 
telling  where  they  might  find  him.  Yet  even  now,  with 
the  blow  about  ready  to  fall,  Jesus'  thoughts  were  with  the 
disciples.  With  one  last  warning  he  tried  to  prepare  them 
against  what  was  to  come.  Heavy  of  heart,  he  turned  to 
them :  You  shall  all  stumble  and  fall  to-night  because  of 
me.  What  the  prophet  has  written  is  to  be  fulfilled: 
"Smite  the  shepherd,  and  the  sheep  shall  be  scattered" 
(Zech.  13.  7).  But  after  I  am  raised,  I  will  go  before  you 
into  Galilee.  As  usual,  Peter  was  first  with  his  answer: 
Though  all  shall  be  offended,  I  will  not.  It  was  this 
Peter  who  needed  the  warning  above  others,  and  so  Jesus 
turned  solemnly  to  him :  This  very  night  shalt  thou  deny 
me,  Peter,  deny  me  three  times  before  the  cock  crows 
twice.  At  that  all  began  to  protest,  and  so  they  went  on 
their  way,  Jesus  making  no  further  answer. 

The  Meaning  of  the  Gaeden 

Why  Jesus  Stayed. — It  was  to  the  Mount  of  Olives  that 
Jesus  went,  to  a  place  where  they  had  been  accustomed  to 
resort  (Luke  22.  39),  possibly  a  garden  belonging  to  some 
friend.  It  is  probable  that  they  had  been  spending  the 
last  nights  here,  and  Judas  would  know  the  place  well. 
Why,  then,  did  Jesus  go  there  ?  Back  of  that  lies  the  larger 
question :  Why  did  he  stay  in  Jerusalem  ?  It  was  not  too 
late  to  escape.    The  leaders  would  have  been  quite  willing 

164 


GETHSEMANE  165 

to  let  him  go.  It  was  not  his  life  they  cared  for;  they 
wanted  him  out  of  the  way.  It  would  have  suited  them  as 
well  to  have  him  flee  the  city,  if  he  would  give  up  his 
claims  and  forfeit  his  hold  upon  the  people. 

But  Jesus  did  not  think  of  flight.  Long  ago,  in  the 
wilderness  yonder  by  the  Jordan,  he  had  fought  liis  first 
great  fight  concerning  his  work.  He  had  found  his  answer 
then,  clear  and  definite:  He  was  to  obey  and  not  choose, 
to  serve  and  not  to  rule,  and  to  trust  his  Father.  A  second 
great  conflict  had  come  to  its  crisis  on  the  mount  of  trans- 
figuration. He  had  realized  there  that  obedience  and  serv- 
ice pointed  to  Jerusalem  and  death;  but  he  set  his  face 
steadfastly  to  go  that  way.  The  third  and  last  great  con- 
flict of  his  life  was  now  come.  He  had  made  his  last  ap- 
peal. With  all  his  power  he  had  pleaded,  warning  and  be- 
seeching. He  had  failed.  He  had  had  a  certain  support 
from  the  people  which  had  thus  far  thwarted  his  foes ;  there 
had  even  been  some  enthusiasm  at  the  first.  But  he  knew 
well  enough  that  there  had  been  no  repentance,  no  real 
acceptance  of  his  message.  In  all  this  he  had  followed  his 
Father's  will.  He  was  taking  no  new  way  now,  only  the 
same  road  of  obedience  and  service.  Now,  however,  he  saw 
that  it  was  his  Father's  will  for  him  to  stay,  to  face  be- 
trayal and  desertion  and  death.  He  had  been  serving  men 
in  life;  in  some  way  he  was  to  render  a  last  and  greatest 
service  by  his  death. 

What  He  Sought. — Jesus  went  to  the  garden  for  prayer, 
just  as  he  went  to  the  wilderness  in  that  first  time  of 
testing,  and  to  the  mountain  in  that  second  trial.  He 
had  done  what  he  could  for  his  disciples,  even  to  the  last 
moment;  now  he  must  face  his  own  problem.  He  must 
gain  certainty  from  above  as  to  this  course  and  strength 
from  above  to  face  it.  The  Christian  disciple  must  ever 
be  grateful  to  those  first  followers  of  Jesus  for  preserving 
in  this  frank  and  simple  account  the  story  of  our  Lord's 
prayer  and  struggle.  Nothing  in  all  the  Gospels  shows  so 
well  his  kinship  with  us  as  this  picture  of  his  pleading, 
his  need,  and  his  utter  dependence  upon  God.  Nothing 
shows  more  clearly  how  he  stands  above  us  than  this  pic- 


166  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

ture  of  his  utter  obedience  and  trust,  of  that  strength  and 
quiet  of  soul  in  which  he  rises  from  the  struggle.  Jesus 
was  never  more  a  king  than  in  the  moment  when  from 
out  that  garden  he  went  forth  to  die. 

The  Conflict  in  the  Garden 

The  Petition  of  Jesus. — Having  arrived  at  the  garden, 
Jesus  took  the  three  who  were  his  intimates  a  little  to  one 
side.  He  told  them  of  the  burden  that  rested  on  his  soul, 
a  burden  like  that  of  death,  and  asked  them  to  watch  with 
him  while  he  prayed.  Then,  withdrawing  a  little  way,  he 
began  to  pray.  In  the  agony  of  his  struggle  he  fell  upon 
his  face,  as  he  cried,  "Abba,  Father,  all  things  are  possible 
unto  thee;  remove  this  cup  from  me:  howbeit  not  what  I 
will,  but  what  thou  wilt.^'  What  was  the  cup  from  which 
Jesus  prayed  deliverance?  We  need  not  search  for  some 
hidden  mystery  here.  Jesus  had  looked  forward  to  death ; 
now  he  was  facing  it  in  all  its  terrible  reality.  And  it  was 
not  simply  the  suffering  and  death.  Despite  the  torture 
and  ignominy  of  the  cross  that  was  the  lesser  part.  There 
was  the  betrayal  by  one  disciple  and  the  desertion  of  the 
others.  There  was  the  cruel  treachery  of  the  leaders  and 
the  shameful  indifference  of  the  people,  his  own  people.  It 
was  this  sin  of  the  people  that  rested  heaviest  upon  his 
soul.  And  so  he  cries  out,  as  any  son  might  to  the  Father : 
Is  there  not  some  other  way?  If  it  be  possible,  let  this 
cup  pass  away  from  me ! 

His  Prayer  of  Victory. — But  it  is  not  the  struggle  and 
the  petition  that  are  most  important  here ;  it  is  the  victory 
that  Jesus  won.  For  this  prayer  was  no  mere  meditation 
or  simple  petition.  It  was  a  moral  battle,  such  as  prayer 
at  its  highest  is  wont  to  be,  a  conflict  in  which  man  rises 
to  God  by  laying  hold  upon  the  hand  of  God.  Out  of 
that  conflict  Jesus  came  forth  a  conqueror,  and  his  prayer 
points  the  way  for  all  right  prayer  and  for  all  victory. 
Trust,  petition,  surrender  were  the  three  steps.  It  be- 
gan with  a  perfect  trust:  "Abba,  Father,''  words  that  in 
themselves  are  prayer  enough  to  voice  all  faith  and  desire. 


GETHSEMANE  167 

Next  he  brought  his  petition,  just  as  every  child  may  bring- 
to  the  Father  his  every  interest  and  need.  And  then  came 
the  surrender,  that  trustful  devotion  to  God  which  is  the 
spirit  of  all  true  prayer  and  its  sign  of  achievement.  For 
the  goal  of  prayer  is  not  the  winning  of  our  desire,  but 
rather  this  harmony  with  God  in  which  his  will  becomes  the 
deepest  wish  of  our  heart.  Such  a  union  with  the  Father's 
will  had  marked  the  whole  course  of  Jesus'  life;  now  he 
maintains  it  victoriously  at  the  end.  He  comes  out  of  the 
conflict  seeing  his  death  as  the  Father's  will,  and  ready  that 
that  will  should  be  done. 

The  Struggle. — The  victory  did  not  come  without  terri- 
ble struggle;  again  and  again  Jesus  uttered  his  prayer. 
And  his  struggle  was  alone;  the  sleeping  disciples  could 
not  give  him  the  sympathy  which  he  craved.  The  story 
of  that  hour  has  presumably  come  down  to  us  through 
Peter,  upon  whom  Mark's  Gospel  probably  depends.  Peter 
conceals  nothing  of  the  failure  with  which  he  and  the 
others  must  often  have  reproached  themselves  in  later  days. 
But  the  strain  of  the  week  of  excitement  and  danger  in 
the  great  city  had  told  upon  these  men  of  the  open.  They 
had  seen  the  Master's  agony  of  spirit.  Three  times  he  had 
spoken  to  them,  bidding  them  watch  with  him.  Listening 
each  time,  they  had  heard  the  first  words  of  Jesus'  prayer 
and  then  fallen  asleep  again.  Now  Jesus  came  to  them 
for  the  last  time.  He  had  heard  the  approach  of  his  foes 
and  he  called  to  his  disciples:  "Sleep  on  now,  and  take 
your  rest :  it  is  enough ;  the  hour  is  come ;  behold,  the  Son 
of  man  is  betrayed  into  the  hands  of  sinners." 

Betrayal  and  Arrest. — It  was  the  company  that  had  been 
sent  out  by  the  chief  priests  and  scribes  and  elders  to  appre- 
hend Jesus.  Judas  was  at  their  head,  and  it  marks  the 
depths  to  which  the  man  had  fallen  that  he  points  out  Jesus 
to  these  foes  by  walking  up  to  him  and  giving  him  the 
wonted  kiss  of  friendly  salutation.  It  was  a  mixed  com- 
pany that  came,  probably  hastily  gathered  at  night,  some 
bearing  swords,  others  only  staves.  One  of  the  disciples 
drew  a  sword  (Peter,  according  to  John  18.  10),  but  Jesus 
bade  him  put  it  up.    To  the  men  before  him  Jesus  simply 


168  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

said :  I  have  been  in  the  temple  daily  teaching ;  you  might 
have  taken  me  then.  Why  do  you  come  out  against  me  by 
night  as  if  I  were  a  robber?  Then,  without  resistance, 
he  followed  them.  As  to  the  disciples,  what  Jesus  had 
anticipated  came  to  pass;  they  all  fled,  panic-stricken. 

Judas 

The  Problem. — The  story  of  Judas  has  been  a  problem 
to  students  and  has  called  forth  many  theories  and  ex- 
planations. Some  have  viewed  him  as  a  misguided  enthu- 
siast, convinced  that  Jesus  had  miraculous  poM'er  if  he 
would  only  use  it,  thinking  by  his  plot  to  compel  Jesus  to 
assert  himself  and  seize  kingly  power.  Others  have  painted 
him  an  utter  villain,  a  monster  so  black  that  there  seemed 
nothing  human  about  him.  Leaving  these  extremes,  there 
are  two  questions  which  occur  to  us  all :  How  could  Jesus 
have  taken  such  a  man  into  the  company  of  his  intimate 
friends?  And  how  could  any  man  have  resisted  the  influ- 
ence of  that  fellowship  and  turned  to  such  a  deed  ? 

The  Men  Whom  Jesus  Chose. — The  answer  to  these  ques- 
tions brings  us  back  to  the  method  of  Jesus.  The  twelve 
whom  he  chose  were  not  saints;  they  were  men  in  the 
making.  The  Gospels  reveal  their  faults  of  character 
with  perfect  frankness.  They  quarreled  with  each  other. 
Two  of  them  wanted  to  call  down  fire  from  heaven  upon 
a  village  that  had  refused  hospitality  to  the  company.  They 
had  selfish  dreams  about  places  of  honor  in  Jesus'  king- 
dom. In  the  hour  of  his  danger  the  whole  company 
deserted  him  and  the  foremost  of  them  denied  his  Master 
with  an  oath.  They  were  slow  to  understand  Jesus'  mes- 
sage and  purpose.  To  the  very  last  they  could  not  see 
why  Jesus  should  take  the  way  of  service  and  death  when 
he  might  have  honor  and  power. 

And  yet  Jesus  chose  these  men.  They  had  responded  to 
his  message,  though  they  had  not  understood  it  all.  They 
were  loyal  to  him  personally.  They  wondered  at  his  way, 
but  they  followed  him.  In  the  end  they  remained  true 
despite  the  death  of  their  Lord  and  the  shame  of  the  cross. 


GETHSEMANE  169 

They  had  in  them  the  making  of  leaders  in  the  Kingdom, 
and  that  was  the  final  reason  for  his  choice.  More  and 
more  he  made  their  training  his  central  concern,  that  they 
might  carry  forward  what  he  had  begun. 

The  Message  Tested. — Jesus  saw  such  possibilities  in 
Judas  himself,  possibilities  both  of  character  and  useful- 
ness. The  message  of  Jesus  had  stirred  the  best  that  was 
in  him  and  he  had  followed.  In  a  way  he  was  one  of  the 
leaders  of  the  circle.  He  was  treasurer  and  steward  for 
the  company,  arranging  for  necessary  provisions  and  lodg- 
ing. Judas  had  watched  with  wonder,  like  the  rest,  the 
Master's  power  to  heal.  He  knew  that  Jesus  could  com- 
mand the  following  of  the  mass  of  the  people  if  he  would. 
But  Jesus  would  not  choose  that  way.  Instead  he  talked 
strangely  of  coming  as  a  servant,  and  his  speech  of  the 
Kingdom  had  nothing  about  thrones  or  victory  over  Israel's 
enemies,  but  about  righteousness  and  being  merciful  and 
becoming  like  a  child.  And  then  came  those  days  in  the 
north,  when  Jesus  owned  himself  at  last  as  Messiah,  but 
at  the  same  time  declared  that  he  was  to  go  to  Jerusalem 
and  be  refused  by  the  people  and  finally  taken  prisoner  and 
put  to  death. 

The  Failure  of  Judas. — We  have  seen  the  disciples  pro- 
testing, but  nevertheless  following  Jesus  to  Jerusalem. 
Why  Judas  remained  in  the  company  is  not  clear.  In  any 
case,  as  the  end  grew  nearer,  the  inner  revolt  of  Judas 
became  more  complete.  He  had  not  followed  Jesus  for 
any  such  end  as  tliis :  a  Messiah  helpless  before  his  foes, 
a  King  that  would  not  use  his  power  or  strike  a  blow ! 
It  may  have  been  that  Judas's  covetousness  entered  in, 
but  probably  this  was  quite  incidental:  thirty  pieces  of 
silver  were  a  petty  reward.  Anger  and  disappointment 
were  probably  stronger  reasons.  His  feeling  was  in  part 
like  that  of  the  mob  which  cried  out,  "Crucify !"  He  had 
convinced  himself  that  Jesus'  claim  was  false;  the  man 
who  went  thus  to  death  could  not  be  the  Messiah. 

The  End. — There  are  two  accounts  of  the  end  of  Judas. 
According  to  the  one  he  hung  himself  in  remorse  for  his 
deed  (Matt.  27.  3-10).     According  to  the  other,  he  was 


170  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

killed  b}'  an  accident  (Acts  1.  18).  It  is  but  fair  to  con- 
clude from  Matthew's  account,  that  Judas  realized  his 
awful  error  as  well  as  his  sin.  It  may  have  been  that  he 
followed  and  watched  Jesus  at  the  trial,  that  he  gained 
some  new  vision  of  the  Master,  and  saw  at  length  beyond 
all  doubt  that  he  whom  he  had  betrayed  was  the  Messiah. 
No  man  can  sink  so  deep  in  life  that  there  may  not  be  for- 
giveness for  his  penitence.  But  there  are  consequences  of 
sin  that  are  irrevocable. 

"The  Moving  Finger  writes ;  and,  having  writ, 
Moves  on:  nor  all  thy  Piety  nor  Wit 
Shall  lure  it  back  to  cancel  half  a  Line, 
Nor  all  thy  Tears  wash  out  a  "Word  of  it," 

Directions  fob  Study 

The  Scripture  passages:  Mark  14:  32-52;  Matthew  27.  3-10; 
Acts  1.  18-20. 

Recall  the  events  of  the  evening  as  discussed  in  the  last 
lesson:  the  Master's  plan  for  the  last  evening,  the  washing 
of  the  feet,  the  warning  as  to  the  betrayal,  the  Supper  and  its 
message. 

Read  carefully  the  passage  in  Mark  (14.  32-42)  telling  of  the 
Master's  struggle  and  agony,  and  the  discussion  upon  this 
passage.  The  best  preparation  for  this  study  will  be  a  spirit 
of  deep  and  humble  reverence.  Let  us  not  try  to  understand 
all  the  Master's  experience,  but  let  us  be  sure  to  take  for 
ourselves  the  lesson  of  the  meaning  and  need  of  prayer.  If 
he  needed  to  pray  thus,  what  of  us? 

Concerning  Judas,  the  references  given  tell  us  in  reality 
very  little.  As  you  read  these  passages  and  the  discussion, 
recall  the  experience  of  Judas  as  a  whole.  Three  facts  are 
plain:  His  great  privilege  as  one  of  the  twelve,  his  betrayal 
of  Jesus,  and  his  final  repentance  of  that  deed. 

What  is  your  conception  of  prayer  and  its  purpose? 

Read  1  Corinthians  9.  26,  27;  Philippians  3.  12-14,  and  con- 
sider the  character  of  the  man  who  wrote  them. 


CHAPTER   XXII 

THE  TEIAL 

It  is  hard  to  realize  the  swift  change  that  came  with  the 
arrest  of  Jesus.  It  had  been  a  day  of  quiet  for  the  Master 
and  his  friends,  followed  by  the  supper  with  its  hours  of 
retirement  and  fellowship  free  from  interruption,  and  then 
by  the  lonely  silence  of  the  slope  of  Olivet  outside  the  city 
walls.  Now  came  the  crowd,  the  lights,  the  arrest,  and 
after  that  the  events  followed  quickly.  The  arrest  was 
probably  not  far  from  midnight;  it  could  not  have  been 
much  before  that,  and  it  may  have  been  later.  According 
to  Mark  15.  25,  the  crucifixion  took  place  at  nine  in  the 
morning.  The  arrest,  the  various  hearings  and  trials,  the 
mockings  and  scourging,  the  sentence,  the  crucifixion — all 
this  was  crowded  into  the  space  of  less  than  ten  hours. 

The  Plan  of  the  Sanhedkin" 

Their  Need  of  Haste. — As  we  study  the  trial  of  Jesus, 

the  purpose  of  the  Sanhedrin  is  perfectly  clear.  They  were 
not  concerned  about  investigating  Jesus'  innocence  or 
guilt.  In  their  minds  he  was  condemned  already.  Of 
course,  they  must  observe  the  proper  legal  forms,  otherwise 
sentiment  might  be  aroused  against  them.  But  the  main 
thing  was  to  secure  a  judgment  and  execution  at  once.  To 
hold  Jesus  prisoner  during  the  feast  would  be  dangerous. 
They  were  not  sure  of  the  attitude  of  the  people,  who  had 
given  a  certain  support  to  Jesus;  a  popular  movement  in 
his  favor  was  quite  possible,  especially  if  the  cry  were  raised 
that  he  was  the  Messiah.  If  he  were  to  be  executed  before 
the  feast,  it  would  require  the  quickest  action;  for  it  was 
late  Thursday  night  that  Judas  came  to  them,  and  the 
Passover  began  with  sunset  on  Friday. 

The  Hostility  of  the  Scribes. — The  reasons  are  not  far 
to  seek  why  these  leaders  were  determined  to  be  rid  of 

171 


172  THE  LIFE  OE  JESUS 

Jesus.  First  of  all,  he  had  alienated  the  powerful  scribes 
and  Pharisees,  beginning  with  his  ministry  in  Galilee. 
They  were  the  religious  leaders,  the  models  of  piety  on  the 
one  hand,  and  on  the  other  the  unquestioned  authority  as 
regards  the  whole  system  of  laws  and  rules  which  were  the 
religion  of  the  day.  Jesus  had  flouted  their  laws  in  his 
own  practice,  healing  on  the  Sabbath,  neglecting  their  wash- 
ings, associating  with  sinners.  He  had  attacked  their  sys- 
tem of  rules,  asserting  the  religion  of  the  inner  spirit  in- 
stead.   He  had  denounced  them  by  name. 

Of  the  Priests. — The  enmity  of  the  priestly  party  was 
quite  as  bitter  and  more  dangerous,  for  they  held  the  reins 
of  authority  in  Jerusalem  and  formed  a  majority  of  the 
Sanhedrin.  The  priestly-Sadducaic  party  cared  little  for 
the  attacks  on  the  Pharisees,  who  were  their  enemies,  and 
still  less  for  quarrels  about  Sabbaths  and  washings.  But 
they  too  had  been  denounced  before  the  people.  They  had 
been  compelled  to  stand  by  while  Jesus  and  his  disciples 
destroyed  their  property  and  threw  their  profitable  busi- 
ness out  of  the  temple.  In  such  parables  as  that  of  the 
vineyard  he  had  accused  them  and  declared  that  their  rule 
was  to  be  taken  away.  And  the  crowds  had  listened  and 
upheld  him,  not  simply  in  Galilee,  but  also  here  at  Jeru- 
salem. 

The  Disciples. — They  did  not  concern  themselves  about 
the  disciples.  They  had  expected  some  resistance,  and  were 
no  doubt  surprised  that  Jesus  yielded  without  a  struggle 
and  his  followers  all  fled.  The  disciples,  of  course,  knew 
that  their  Master  was  in  danger,  and  Peter's  sword  would 
indicate  that  they  themselves  had  made  some  preparation. 
Dazed  by  the  sudden  awakening  from  deepest  sleep,  seeing 
one  of  their  number  leading  the  foes,  rebuked  when  one 
of  them  attempted  violent  resistance,  and  noting  the  quiet 
surrender  of  their  leader,  it  is  perhaps  no  wonder  that  they 
fled. 

The  Teials  Before  the  Sanhedrin 

The  First  Hearing. — It  was  still  night  when  Jesus  was 
seized,  though  the  full  paschal  moon  was  shining.     There 


THE  TRIAL  173 

could  be  no  regular  trial  or  condemnation  until  daybreak, 
but  his  enemies  would  not  wait  for  that.  John  tells  us 
that  Jesus  was  first  taken  to  the  house  of  Annas,  father- 
in-law  of  the  high  priest  Caiaphas.  Annas  was  the  real 
leader  of  the  priestly  party,  had  formerly  been  high  priest 
himself,  and  was  still  known  by  that  name  (John  18.  13). 
Here  an  informal  hearing  was  held  in  which  everything 
was  decided  except  in  name.  Long  before  this  they  had 
agreed  that  Jesus  should  be  put  to  death;  their  real  prob- 
lem was  to  find  a  charge  that  they  could  set  up  before  the 
people.  His  attacks  upon  the  priests  and  Pharisees  were 
no  basis  for  a  trial;  but  the  temple  was  the  pride  of  the 
people,  and  Jesus'  words  about  this  might  be  used.  The 
prophet  Jeremiah  in  his  day  had  almost  been  slain  for 
speaking  against  the  city  and  the  temple  in  the  same  way 
(Jer.  26.  8-13).  And  so  they  charge  him  with  declaring 
that  he  would  destroy  the  temple.  At  least  two  witnesses 
were  required  to  condemn  a  man,  but  the  witnesses  that 
were  produced  failed  to  agree  (Mark  14.  53-59). 

The  High  Priest's  Question. — To  all  the  charges  of  the 
witnesses  Jesus  answered  nothing.  His  fate  was  deter- 
mined; these  men  did  not  want  the  truth,  and  he  had  no 
desire  for  idle  dispute.  Now  the  high  priest  himself  ap- 
proached him :  "Answerest  thou  nothing  ?  what  is  it  which 
these  witness  against  thee?"  To  this  also  Jesus  made  no 
answer.  Then  came  the  question  for  which  he  broke  his 
silence.  These  shrewd  leaders  knew  that  Jesus  held  him- 
self to  be  the  Messiah.  They  had  read  his  assertion  of 
this  in  his  triumphal  entry  and  in  his  parables.  And  yet, 
as  we  have  seen,  Jesus  had  not  asserted  the  claim  in  so 
many  words,  and  thus  they  could  not  call  witnesses  upon 
this  point.  That  is  why  the  high  priest  turns  now  upon 
Jesus  with  the  direct  question:  "Art  thou  the  Christ,  the 
Son  of  the  Blessed  ?" 

The  Answer  of  Jesus. — There  was  profound  contempt 
in  the  query,  a  mockery  like  that  under  the  cross  a  few 
hours  later  when  they  cried,  "Thou  that  destroyest  the 
temple,  and  bulkiest  it  in  three  days,  save  thyself."  Despite 
the  scorn,  Jesus  answered  the  question.     Once  he  would 


174  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

not  assert  the  name  because  he  feared  the  crowds  would 
try  to  acclaim  him  as  an  earthly  king.  There  was  no  danger 
of  that  now.  To  refuse  that  title  now,  even  by  silence, 
would  be  to  be  faithless  to  his  Father  and  to  his  own  con- 
viction. And  so,  in  this  hour  of  his  humiliation,  he  asserts 
that  which  he  would  not  claim  in  the  hour  of  his  popu- 
larity :  "I  am :  and  ye  shall  see  the  Son  of  man  sitting  at 
the  right  hand  of  Power,  and  coming  with  the  clouds  of 
heaven."  It  was  a  sublime  triumph  of  faith;  deserted, 
helpless,  facing  certain  death,  Jesus  sees  the  sure  victory 
that  lies  before  him  (Mark  14.  60-64). 

The  Verdict. — At  the  reply  of  Jesus  the  high  priest  tore 
his  robe  and  cried  out  in  horror:  "What  further  need 
have  we  of  witnesses?  Ye  have  heard  the  blasphemy." 
We  need  not  charge  the  high  priest  with  mere  acting.  It 
is  true  that  the  claim  to  be  the  Messiah  was  in  itself  not 
blasphemy.  This  claim  had  been  asserted  by  others.  But 
that  this  man  here  before  them,  this  prisoner,  bound,  help- 
less, this  man  who  had  defied  the  laws  and  joined  himself 
to  sinners  and  threatened  the  temple,  that  such  an  one 
should  claim  to  be  the  Messiah  of  Jehovah  was  in  their 
eyes  blasphemous.  It  was  Joining  the  holy  God  to  that 
which  was  unholy  and  unrighteous.  And  so  ''they  all  con- 
demned him  to  be  worthy  of  death." 

The  Forinal  Conviction. — This  examination  at  the  home 
of  Annas  was  probably  conducted  by  Annas  himself.  It 
was  not  a  legal  meeting  of  the  Sanhedrin  and  was  oflScial 
in  no  sense.  But  what  this  shrewd  and  powerful  man  de- 
termined upon  would  carry  with  that  body,  not  a  few  mem- 
bers of  which  had  undoubtedly  been  present  at  this  early 
meeting.  And  so  it  was.  At  the  earliest  moment  of  dawn 
the  Sanhedrin  assembled,  and  agreed  to  the  charge  and  the 
verdict  based  upon  it  (Mark  15.  1). 

Petek's  Denial 

Peter  Denies  His  Lord. — Meanwhile  another  scene  was 
being  enacted  near  by  (Mark  14.  66-72).  One  of  the 
twelve,  and  possibly  two  (see  John  18.  15),  had  followed 
Jesus  and  his  captors  from  afar  and  so  found  themselves 


THE  TRIAL  175 

at  length  in  the  courtyard  of  the  high  priest's  palace.  It 
may  be  that  the  maidservant  who  noticed  Peter  had  seen 
him  at  some  time  with  Jesus;  at  any  rate  she  charged 
him  with  being  one  of  Jesus'  company.  Driven  by  fear, 
Peter  hastily  declared  that  he  did  not  know  what  she  was 
talking  about,  and  then  slipped  out  ''in  the  porch."  There 
the  maid  later  on  found  him  again,  and  suggested  to  those 
standing  by,  "This  is  one  of  them."  This  Peter  denied 
again,  though  he  still  remained.  But  the  bystanders  had 
noticed  the  Galilaean  accent  as  he  spoke,  and  they  returned 
to  the  charge:  "Thou  art  one  of  them,  for  thou  art  a 
Galilfean.  But  he  began  to  curse  and  to  swear,  I  know  not 
this  man  of  whom  ye  speak.  And  straightway  the  second 
time  the  cock  crew.  And  Peter  called  to  mind  the  word, 
how  that  Jesus  had  said  unto  him.  Before  the  cock  crow 
twice,  thou  shalt  deny  me  thrice.  And  when  he  thought 
thereon,  he  wept." 

Peter's  Sin. — It  is  easy  to  condemn  Peter,  who  had  pro- 
tested so  bravely  a  little  while  before,  and  who  denied 
now  so  cravenly  at  the  charge  of  a  mere  housemaid.  It 
is  only  fair  to  remember,  however,  that  Peter  did  make  his 
way  to  the  house  of  the  high  priest  despite  tlie  danger,  and 
that  he  remained  there  even  after  he  was  detected.  Peter's 
denial,  however,  was  not  something  that  stood  all  alone. 
Sin  is  never  a  single  deed.  The  single  evil  act  is  part  of 
a  stream  of  life;  it  is  born  of  other  deeds  and  thoughts, 
and  it  gives  birth  to  still  others  in  turn.  Peter's  sin  was 
due  in  large  part  to  that  overconfidence  which  Jesus  had 
rebuked  but  a  little  while  before.  The  lesson  of  humility 
and  dependence  was  not  an  easy  one  for  Peter.  On  the 
other  hand,  that  first  hesitating  denial  prepared  the  way 
for  what  was  worse. 

The  Teials  Before  Pilate  and  Herod 

The  Charge  Made  Before  Pilate. — With  the  end  of  the 

Sanhedrin  trial  the  task  of  Jesus'  enemies  was  only  begun. 
Some  years  before  Eome  had  taken  direct  control  in  Jeru- 
salem and  put  a  procurator  in  charge.  Since  then  the 
Sanhedrin  had  no  authority  to  inflict  the  death  penalty. 


176  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

It  is  true  that  later  on  in  the  case  of  Stephen  they  took 
the  matter  into  their  own  hands  and  put  Stephen  to  death 
by  stoning  as  their  own  law  provided  (Lev.  24.  16).  But, 
aside  from  possible  trouble  through  such  lawlessness,  their 
position  would  be  much  more  secure  with  the  people  if 
the  Eomans  themselves  executed  Jesus.  Their  task,  there- 
fore, was  to  find  a  charge  that  would  stand  before  Pilate. 
The  Eoman  would  pay  little  attention  to  their  accusations 
of  blasphemy  based  on  any  such  grounds.  But  his  claim 
to  be  the  Messiah  might  easily  be  used  against  him,  if 
they  could  make  it  appear  that  this  involved  in  some  way 
an  attack  upon  the  Eoman  rule.  So  they  framed  their 
charge  that  Jesus  claimed  to  be  king  of  the  Jews  and  that 
he  had  stirred  up  the  people  everywhere. 

The  Position  of  Pilate. — Nothing,  in  fact,  was  farther 
from  the  real  aim  and  spirit  of  Jesus  tlian  this,  and  Pilate, 
who  knew  these  men,  saw  through  it  quickly  enough.  But 
he  knew  too  the  fanatical  spirit  with  which  he  had  to  deal, 
and  the  possibilities  of  serious  trouble.  Plad  he  decided 
according  to  conviction,  he  would  have  released  Jesus  at 
once.  But  Pilate  was  afraid.  His  course  throughout  the 
trial  is  that  of  a  man  who  wants  to  do  the  right,  but  fol- 
lows expediency,  who  shows  a  lofty  contempt  for  the  Jews, 
and  yet  yields  to  their  will.  In  the  great  scenes  of  that 
last  week  the  figure  of  Judas  is  the  most  tragic,  the  figure 
of  Annas  is  the  most  sinister,  but  the  most  pitiable  figure, 
with  all  its  show  of  authority  and  proud  contempt,  is  that 
of  the  Eoman  who  proved  to  be  a  coward. 

Jesus  Sent  to  Herod. — Pilate  begins  by  questioning  Jesus 
(Mark  15.  2-5).  "Art  thou  the  King  of  the  Jews?"  he 
asks.  It  was  probably  spoken  with  a  good-natured  con- 
tempt, which  thought  of  Jesus  as  a  harmless  enthusiast 
sprung  from  this  strange  people.  Again  Jesus  will  not 
deny  his  Messiahship.  "Thou  sayest,"  is  his  reply.  But  to 
all  other  questions  from  Pilate  he  gives  no  answer.  In 
making  the  charges  against  Jesus  they  had  referred  to  his 
teaching  in  Galilee,  and  Pilate  now  grasps  at  the  word. 
If  this  man  is  a  Galilean,  then  he  belongs  to  Herod 
Antipas.     Herod  happens  to  be  in  Jerusalem  at  the  very 


THE  TRIAL  177 

time;  he  will  send  Jesus  over  and  thus  be  well  rid  of  the 
matter.  The  priests  probably  chafed  under  the  delay, 
but  they  had  no  good  reason  for  protest. 

Before  Herod  Antipas. — And  so  Jesus  stands  at  last  be- 
fore Herod  Antipas,  crafty  and  cruel  Herod,  rightly  de- 
scribed as  "that  fox"  by  Jesus'  scornful  word.  Herod,  it 
was  said,  had  wanted  to  seize  Jesus.  In  any  case  he  had 
long  been  curious  about  this  prophet,  so  much  like  that 
John  whom  he  had  put  to  death.  He  had  heard  of  his 
wonders;  now  he  would  have  him  perform  some  miracles 
for  him.  He  begins  to  question  Jesus.  His  shallow  curi- 
osity deserved  no  answer,  and  Jesus  gave  none.  And  before 
the  fierce  and  persistent  accusations  of  the  priests  he  was 
also  silent.  Herod  took  his  cheap  revenge  of  mockery,  put 
on  this  "king"  in  ridicule  a  gorgeous  royal  robe,  and  then 
sent  him  back  to  Pilate  (Luke  23.  6-12). 

Pilate's  Offer  of  Compromise. — Pilate  now  had  a  clear 
case  for  the  release  of  Jesus,  and  he  set  it  before  the  repre- 
sentatives of  the  Sanhedrin :  "I,  having  examined  him 
before  you,  found  no  fault  in  this  man  touching  those 
things  whereof  ye  accuse  him:  no,  nor  yet  Herod:  for  he 
sent  him  back  unto  me."  Seeing  them  still  obdurate,  how- 
ever, he  offered  them  a  compromise.  It  was  the  brutal 
Eoman  custom  to  scourge  criminals  before  execution.  The 
scourge  was  made  of  leather  thongs  weighted  with  sharp 
pieces  of  lead  or  bone.  The  ordeal  was  only  less  terrible 
than  the  execution  itself,  and  victims  had  been  known  to 
die  under  it.  Now  Herod  proposed  that  Jesus  should  be 
thus  scourged  and  then  let  go.  That  surely  should  satisfy 
Jesus*  foes,  while  at  the  same  time  it  would  relieve  Pilate 
from  imposing  a  sentence  that  he  knew  to  be  unjust.  But 
the  cruel  Eoman  was  less  cruel  than  these  Jews  (Luke 
23.  13-16). 

Pilate  Proposes  to  Release  Jesus. — Then  Pilate  made  a 
third  and  last  attempt  (Mark  15.  6-15).  It  was  customary, 
we  are  told,  for  the  Jews  to  ask  for  the  release  of  some 
prisoner  each  year  as  a  special  privilege  in  honor  of  the 
great  feast.  Matthew  tells  us  that  it  was  Pilate  himself 
who  now  raised  the  question    (Mark  says  the  people) ; 


178  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

in  any  case  it  was  Pilate  who  suggested  the  release  of 
Jesus.  Pilate  knew  better  than  to  propose  this  to  the 
leaders;  he  put  it  directly  to  the  people,  counting  upon 
their  sympathy  with  the  accused.  So  far  as  we  know,  there 
had  been  no  hostility  to  Jesus  among  the  people  during 
the  week.  Some  of  the  many  pilgrims  that  filled  the  city 
had  joined  with  Jesus'  followers  in  shouting  "Hosanna !" 
at  his  entrance  into  the  city.  They  had  heard  his  attacks 
upon  the  leaders  and  watched  him  drive  the  traders  from 
the  temple.  Their  sympathy  and  support  had  kept  Jesus' 
foes  from  overt  action.    Tlie  way  seemed  clear  for  release. 

The  Verdict  of  the  Mob. — But  the  situation  had  changed. 
The  priests  and  scribes  had  seen  to  it  that  there  were 
enough  of  their  party  present,  and  these  now  mingled  with 
the  crowd  suggesting  that  they  call  for  the  release  of 
Barabbas.  There  was  not  much  argument  needed.  What 
the  people  wanted  was  a  leader  with  power,  a  real  king 
who  could  lead  against  Eome.  They  had  no  interest  in  a 
"Messiah"  who  could  not  even  defend  himself,  a  helpless 
prisoner  about  to  be  sentenced.  And  then  the  heart  of  the 
mob  is  often  as  cowardly  and  cruel  as  it  is  stupid.  Whether 
Barabbas  was  a  common  criminal  or  had  been  the  leader 
in  some  petty  popular  revolt,  we  do  not  know.  He  was 
at  least  well  known,  "a  notable  prisoner,"  and  under  sen- 
tence for  murder.  Then  Pilate  made  one  more  effort.  If 
they  desired  it,  he  intimated,  he  would  release  Jesus  in 
any  case:  "What  then  shall  I  do  unto  him  whom  ye  call 
the  King  of  the  Jews?"  Then  at  last  the  cries  from  the 
crowd  became  a  chorus  as  they  shouted,  "Crucify,  crucify 
him !"  In  memory  of  Pilate's  cowardly  yielding  to  the 
mob,  still  week  by  week,  all  round  the  Christian  world, 
where  men  confess  their  faith  in  Him  who  died  for  them, 
they  repeat  those  words,  the  ancient  monument  of  the 
procurator's  shame :  "suffered  under  Pontius  Pilate." 

The  Attitude  of  Jesus. — Nowhere  do  the  completeness 
and  divineness  of  Jesus'  character  appear  more  wonder- 
ful than  in  these  hours  of  his  humiliation.  The  Chris- 
tian Church  has  been  perhaps  most  impressed  by  his 
meekness,  seeing  here  a  wonderful  fulfillment  of  the  pic- 


THE  TRIAL  179 

ture  drawn  by  the  prophet:  "He  was  oppressed,  yet  when 
lie  was  afflicted  he  opened  not  his  mouth ;  as  a  lamb  that  is 
led  to  the  slaughter,  and  as  a  sheep  that  before  her  shearers 
is  dumb,  so  he  opened  not  his  niouth'^  (Isa,  53.  7).  And 
yet  his  meekness  is  not  weakness.  Men  usually  feel  that 
they  must  become  angry  and  strike  back  in  order  to  preserve 
their  honor  and  self-respect  in  the  face  of  insult  and  injury. 
But  as  we  watch  Jesus,  suffering  and  yet  silent,  it  is  his 
foes  that  lose  their  honor  and  our  respect ;  his  strength  and 
dignity  shine  before  our  eyes.  Such  strength  of  character, 
such  kingliness,  the  world  has  never  seen.  As  we  watch 
the  trial,  the  helpless  prisoner  becomes  the  judge  before 
our  eyes.  We  see  the  other  actors  in  these  scenes  arraigned 
before  him.  His  silent  sentence  condemns  in  turn  the 
treachery  of  a  Judas  who  could  answer  such  love  with 
betrayal,  the  weakness  of  a  Peter,  the  cowardice  of  a 
Pilate,  the  shallow  fickleness  of  the  mob,  and  the  malice 
of  his  foes  pursuing  one  who  had  never  done  aught  but  love 
and  serve. 

Directions  fob  Study 

The  Scripture  passages:  Mark  14.  53-72;  15.  1-15;  Luke  23. 
1-25. 

Recall  first  the  events  of  the  preceding  evening  and  of  the 
night  struggle  in  the  garden.  Only  so  can  we  at  all  under- 
stand the  flight  of  the  disciples. 

The  plan  of  the  Sanhedrin:  Read  this  section  and  recall 
the  previous  chapters  on  the  cleansing  of  the  temple  and 
Jesus'  conflicts  during  the  last  week. 

Peter's  denial:  Recall  the  stories  of  Peter's  impulsiveness 
and  self-confidence. 

The  trials  before  Pilate  and  Herod:  Read  the  discussion 
above  with  constant  reference  to  the  Scripture  passages.  If 
possible,  read  the  account  in  John  after  you  have  finished  your 
other  study. 

The  Gospels  differ  somewhat  in  their  account  of  these  events. 
The  probable  order  is  given  above.  Compare  the  Gospels  and 
note  that  there  are  reported  six  stages  in  the  trial  of  Jesus, 
the  first  four  being  hearings,  the  last  two  being  the  offer  of 
release  and  the  sentence.  Outline  the  events  under  these  six 
heads. 

Put  in  a  few  words  the  character  and  the  fault  of  these  men 
who  sinned  against  Jesus:  Peter,  Judas,  Annas,  Herod,  Pilate. 
Who  seems  to  you  most  blameworthy,  and  why? 


CHAPTER   XXIII 

THE  CRUCIFIXION 

It  is  hard  for  us,  as  we  study  this  lesson,  to  grasp  the 
swift  and  terrible  changes  which  a  few  days,  and  even  a  few 
hours,  have  brought.  The  triumphal  way  has  changed  to 
the  via  dolorosa,  way  of  sorrow.  The  applauding  multitude 
has  given  way  to  this  crowd  with  its  cry  of  "Crucify." 
The  priests  and  scribes,  baffled  and  helpless  then,  are  now 
exulting  in  their  triumph.  And  He  upon  whose  words  the 
people  hung,  who  held  these  powerful  leaders  at  bay,  is 
prisoner  now  and  condemned.  It  is  hard  for  us  to  realize 
the  scenes  of  that  Friday  morning,  that  all  this  befell  Him 
whom  we  venerate  as  highest  and  holiest.  Harder  still  is 
it  for  us  to  think  that  all  this  indignity  and  cruelty  and 
shame  fell  upon  One  whose  life  had  no  spring  but  love, 
and  no  task  but  to  minister  to  others.  We  can  but  say  with 
him,  "This  is  your  hour,  and  the  power  of  darkness" 
(Luke  22.  53). 

The  Mocking  and  Scourging 

At  the  House  of  the  High  Priest. — The  records  speak 
of  three  mockings  of  Jesus  that  took  place  on  that  morn- 
ing. The  first  came  from  his  Jewish  enemies.  We  some- 
times say  of  a  good  man,  "He  never  made  an  enemy.'* 
Happy  is  the  man  of  whom  this  can  be  said;  but  many 
of  the  world's  best  men  have  had  to  make  foes.  Such  was 
the  lot  of  Jesus.  He  had  drawn  no  sword,  but  he  had 
been  a  mighty  fighter.  His  flaming  wrath  had  flashed  out 
against  all  oppression  of  the  poor,  against  blind  leaders 
that  turned  men  astray,  against  cruelty  and  corruption  and 
hypocrisy.  He  had  made  enemies,  bitter  and  ruthless ;  and 
this  was  their  hour.  They  mocked  him  there  at  the  high 
priest's  house,  in  the  early  hours  before  dawn  had  come. 

180 


THE  CRUCIFIXION  181 

They  spat  upon  his  face  in  scorn  and  beat  him.  Then  they 
blindfolded  this  "prophet,"  while  one  and  another  stepped 
up  and  struck  him  with  the  hand.  And  each  time  they 
called  out  in  mockery,  "Prophesy :  who  is  he  that  struck 
thee?"  (Mark  14.  65;  Luke  22.  63,  64.) 

With  Herod  Antipas. — Luke  gives  a  second  mocking  at 
the  hands  of  Herod  Antipas  and  his  soldiers.  Possibly  this 
was  the  same  event  that  Matthew  and  Mark  report  in  con- 
nection with  Pilate's  soldiery.  Terrible  as  the  latter  was, 
in  its  spirit  it  was  not  so  bad  as  that  which  Jesus  had 
suffered  at  the  high  priest's  palace.  With  the  priests  it 
was  malice  and  anger,  with  the  soldiers  it  was  rather 
brutality  and  ignorance.  Their  calling  was  one  that  helped 
to  make  brutal  men  more  brutal  still. 

The  Scourging. — First  of  all  Jesus  was  scourged.  The 
cruelty  of  this  punishment  belonged  in  part  to  the  age,  in 
part  to  the  Roman  character.  The  victim  was  tied  to  a 
post.  The  pieces  of  sharp  metal  and  bone,  with  which  the 
thongs  were  weighted,  pierced  the  skin  at  every  blow.  And 
the  will  of  the  officer  was  the  only  limit  to  the  number  of 
blows.  It  was  very  different  from  the  Jewish  scourging 
with  the  rod  to  which  Paul  refers.  Sometimes  it  was 
used  to  draw  forth  confessions  or  unwilling  testimony. 
Commonly,  with  the  unmeaning  cruelty  of  the  time,  it  was 
applied  to  those  who  were  about  to  be  executed.  Under  it 
the  victim  commonly  fainted;  sometimes  he  died  before 
the  still  more  terrible  penalty  of  the  cross  could  be  im- 
posed.   It  was  not  to  be  so  with  Jesus. 

Mocked  by  Pilate's  Soldiers. — By  the  time  the  scourging 
was  over,  the  soldiers  of  the  band  were  all  assembled. 
They  received  the  weak  and  bleeding  victim  with  jeers. 
This  man  had  called  himself  a  king,  this  poor  peasant, 
this  broken  creature  waiting  for  the  cross  !  So  they  mocked. 
It  was  too  good  an  opportunity  for  idle  buffoonery.  They 
would  have  a  crowning  for  this  king!  So  they  found  a 
robe,  or  rag,  of  scarlet  and  flung  it  about  him.  Some 
thorny  branches  were  twisted  together  to  make  a  crown,  and 
a  reed  was  given  to  him  as  scepter.  Then  in  mock  obeisance 
they  knelt  before  him  and  cried,  "Hail,  King  of  the  Jews !" 


182  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

Tiring  of  this,  they  spat  upon  him  and  struck  him,  until 
the  time  came  to  lead  him  forth. 

The  Way  of  the  Cross 

The  Procession. — The  place  of  crucifixion  was  without 
the  city,  just  where  we  do  not  know.  We  know  it  was  a 
skull-shaped  mound  called  Golgotha,  or  Calvary,  and  the 
more  common  opinion  to-day  holds  that  it  lay  just  outside 
the  Damascus  gate.  Toward  this  gate,  then,  the  proces- 
sion moved.  Despite  the  haste  of  the  priests  and  the  still 
early  hour,  the  report  of  what  was  happening  had  spread 
through  the  city.  The  crowd  that  had  been  in  front  of 
Pilate's  palace  was  reinforced  by  many  others  as  they  fol- 
lowed the  little  company  of  soldiers  that  led  the  way  to 
the  place  of  execution.  Hanging  from  the  prisoner's  neck, 
or  carried  before  him,  was  a  sign  which  bore  the  charge 
upon  which  he  was  condemned.  The  accusation  against 
Jesus  was  brief :  "The  King  of  the  Jews'' ;  and  this  sign 
was  placed  above  his  cross  at  the  crucifixion.  In  Jolin 
19.  19-22  we  read  that  this  was  done  by  Pilate's  special 
order,  and  was  written  in  Hebrew,  Latin,  and  Greek.  It 
spoke  Pilate's  contempt  for  the  Jews,  and  was  a  piece  of 
petty  revenge  against  these  men  whose  fierce  determina- 
tion had  compelled  him  to  act  against  his  knowledge  of  the 
right. 

Simon  Carries  the  Cross. — It  was  customary  to  make  the 
prisoner  carry  his  own  cross  to  the  place  of  execution,  that 
is,  "to  take  up  his  cross."  This  Jesus  was  physically  unable 
to  do.  When  we  think  of  the  strain  of  that  terrible  week, 
under  whose  fatigue  the  disciples  were  utterly  unable  to 
keep  awake  though  they  knew  of  their  danger  and  the 
Master's  desire;  when  we  think  of  how  he  added  the  night 
watches  of  prayer  to  the  days  of  severest  toil  that  had  gone 
before,  and  how  this  was  followed  by  trials  and  hearings 
and  mockings  and  scourging,  we  marvel  that  he  had  en- 
dured to  this  hour.  Jesus  must  have  been  a  man  of  ex- 
ceptional physical  power.  But  now  the  limit  had  been 
reached;  bear  the  cross  he  could  not.    The  soldiers  seized 


THE  CRUCIFIXION  183 

a  passer-by  and  compelled  him  to  carry  it.  It  was  one 
Simon  from  Cyrene,  a  place  in  northern  Africa  which  had 
a  considerable  Jewish  colony.  From  the  gospel  reference 
it  would  seem  that  he  became  with  his  family  a  disciple  of 
the  Master. 

Bewailing  Women. — In  the  crowd  that  went  along  not 
all  were  hostile.  There  were  women  who  bewailed  his  fate, 
Luke  tells  us  (23.  26-31),  not  merely  the  women  who  had 
come  down  with  him  from  the  north,  but  women  from 
Jerusalem.  And  still,  as  before,  even  in  his  weakness  and 
suffering,  the  thought  of  Jesus  was  for  others,  not  for 
himself.  They  were  bewailing  his  fate,  he  was  thinking 
of  the  lot  that  awaited  the  city.  The  glory  of  a  Jewish 
woman  was  her  children,  and  to  be  childless  was  the  greatest 
calamity.  Eemembering  this,  we  can  understand  Jesus' 
words  to  these  women.  Weep  not  for  me,  but  weep  for 
yourselves  and  for  your  children,  he  said.  For  the  days 
were  coming  when  men  should  say.  Blessed  are  those  women 
who  never  bore  children;  when  men  should  call  upon  the 
mountains  to  bury  them.  "If  they  do  these  things  in  the 
green  tree,  what  shall  be  done  in  the  dry?"  History  an- 
swers Jesus'  question  by  telling  us  of  the  endless  crosses 
reared  by  the  soldiers  of  Titus,  upon  which  the  women 
of  Jerusalem  could  see  their  sons  and  husbands  hung.  So 
it  happened  when  the  flourishing  green  of  Jerusalem  had 
become  withered  and  dry. 

The  Ckucifixion 

It  is  neither  needful  nor  profitable  for  us  to  picture  the 
details  of  the  physical  suffering  that  followed.  Men  have 
discussed  what  form  of  cross  was  used,  and  whether  the 
feet  were  bound  to  the  cross  or  nailed  like  the  hands.  It 
is  enough  for  us  to  read  the  simple  story  of  the  evangelists, 
and  to  feel  its  moving  power.  The  cross  had  not  been 
known  among  the  Jews  until  Eome  brought  it  in.  Cruelty 
could  not  devise  a  more  terrible  form  of  execution.  There 
was  no  injury  of  such  character  as  to  bring  about  death 
directly  or  speedily,  and  the  victims  sometimes  endured 


184  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

the  agonies  for  a  space  of  two  days.  There  were  merciful 
souls  who  sometimes  went  to  the  place  of  crucifixion  and 
offered  to  the  condemned  a  drink  of  wine  and  myrrh  before 
they  were  affixed  to  the  cross.  The  drink  was  stupefying 
and  lessened  the  pain.  Such  a  drink  was  offered  to  Jesus, 
but  he  refused ;  he  wanted  all  his  faculties  of  soul  for  that 
which  lay  before  him. 

What  Jesus  Saw  feom  the  Cross 

In  thinking  of  the  crucifixion  we  have  naturally  turned 
first  to  the  cross  and  to  him  who  hung  upon  it.  We  need 
now  to  turn  to  those  who  stood  about  it.  What  did  Jesus 
see  that  day  as  he  looked  down  from  the  cross?  The 
seat  of  execution  was  usually  placed  by  the  Eomans  near  a 
highway  or  public  place,  that  the  terrible  sight  might  serve 
to  deter  other  men  from  crime.  Thus  there  were  many 
that  passed  by  where  Jesus  hung,  besides  the  throng  that 
had  come  out  with  him.  In  this  company  there  are  four 
classes  which  the  Gospel  stories  point  out. 

Jewish  Foes. — First  of  all  there  were  those  who  mocked, 
Jews  passing  by,  but  especially  the  priests  and  scribes. 
With  jeers  and  taunts  they  derided  him,  reminding  him 
of  the  claims  that  he  had  made.  "Ha !  thou  that  destroyest 
the  temple,  and  buildest  it  in  three  days,  save  thyself, 
and  come  down  from  the  cross."  "He  saved  others ;  him- 
self he  cannot  save.  He  is  the  King  of  Israel;  let  him 
now  come  down  from  the  cross  and  we  will  believe  on  him. 
He  trusteth  on  God ;  let  him  deliver  him  now,  if  he  desireth 
him:  for  he  said,  I  am  the  Son  of  God"  (Mark  15.  29, 
30 ;  Matt.  27.  42,  43).  They  little  realized  how  much  both 
of  truth  and  error  lay  in  their  words.  It  was  just  because 
he  trusted  in  God  that  Jesus  went  to  the  cross;  it  was 
because  he  was  saving  others  that  he  could  not  save  him- 
self. 

The  Soldiers. — The  soldiers  on  guard  formed  a  second 
group.  It  was  a  small  detachment  whose  task  it  was  to  fix 
the  condemned  on  the  cross  and  then  to  wait  until  they 
were  dead.     It  was  their  business,  and  they  took  it  with 


THE  CRUCIFIXION  185 

accustomed  indifference.  The  garments  of  the  prisoners 
were  their  poor  spoils,  and  they  divided  them  by  casting 
lots.  If  this  seems  terrible  to  us  in  its  brutality,  what 
shall  we  say  to  the  fact  that  millions  of  men  in  the  year 
of  our  Lord  1917  are  making  it  their  business  to  kill  as 
many  as  possible  of  their  fellow  men?  Hardened  though 
they  were,  the  soldiers  were  not  heartless,  for  one  of  them, 
hearing  Jesus  cry  out,  took  from  their  own  store  of  sour 
wine,  or  vinegar,  and  gave  it  to  Jesus  to  drink.  And 
of  the  centurion  in  charge  it  is  said  that  when  he  saw  how 
Jesus  died,  he  declared,  "Truly  this  was  the  Son  of  God." 

Bystanders  and  Friends. — The  third  class  was  composed 
of  the  idle,  indifferent  throng.  Of  these  Luke  simply  says, 
"The  people  stood  beholding."  The  fourth  class  was  com- 
posed of  the  friends  of  Jesus.  The  twelve  had  scattered, 
though  the  fourth  Gospel  states  that  John  was  present. 
But  there  were  other  disciples  or  friends  of  Jesus  there. 
There  is  definite  mention  of  the  women;  these,  who  had 
followed  him  from  Galilee,  did  not  desert  him  at  the 
cross.  Neither  the  shame  of  his  death  nor  possible  danger 
to  themselves  served  to  keep  them  away.  The  fourth  Gos- 
pel states  that  several  of  these  stood  near  the  cross,  and 
John  with  them.  The  other  Gospels  speak  of  them  as 
looking  on  from  afar;  it  is  possible  that  they  drew  nearer 
toward  the  close.  Some  faces  that  Jesus  saw,  looking  out 
from  his  cross,  were  full  of  sympathy  and  love,  though 
they  stood  helpless  in  their  sorrow. 

What  Jesus  Said  from  the  Cross 

Seven  Words. — Full  of  deepest  interest  to  the  Christian 
is  the  study  of  the  words  of  Jesus  spoken  from  the  cross. 
Seven  such  words  are  reported  in  the  Gospels :  two  that 
were  spoken  to  others,  two  as  if  to  himself,  and  three  in 
prayer  to  his  Father.  As  we  study  them  we  see  that  here, 
in  this  hour  of  awful  trial,  Jesus  remained  true  to  that 
spirit  which  had  ruled  him  all  his  life :  there  is  the  same 
loving  thought  of  others,  there  is  the  same  steadfast  and 
obedient  trust  in  his  Father. 


186  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

Love  and  Trust  on  the  Cross. — Of  the  two  words  spoken 
to  others,  one  was  to  the  penitent  thief:  "Verily  I  say 
unto  thee.  To-day  shalt  thou  be  with  me  in  Paradise'* 
(Luke  23.  43).  The  second  is  given  in  John  19.  26,  27: 
"When  Jesus  therefore  saw  his  mother,  and  the  disciple 
standing  by  whom  he  loved,  he  saith  unto  his  mother. 
Woman,  behold  thy  son !  Then  saith  he  to  the  disciple, 
Behold,  thy  mother!  And  from  that  hour  the  disciple 
took  her  unto  his  own  home."  John  also  reports  the  two 
words  that  seem  to  have  been  spoken  by  Jesus  to  himself 
(19.  28,  30).  One  lays  hold  of  our  hearts  by  its  simple 
expression  of  human  suffering:  "I  thirst."  The  other  is 
equally  moving  as  it  reveals  how  Jesus  to  the  last  moment 
was  concerned  to  finish  the  work  that  his  Father  had  given 
him  to  do.  This  may  have  been  his  last  word :  "It  is 
finished."  And  finally  we  have  the  words  spoken  in  prayer 
to  his  Father.  The  first  is  a  word  that  only  infinite  love 
could  have  spoken  out  of  such  anguish:  "Father,  forgive 
them;  for  they  know  not  what  they  do"  (Luke  23.  34). 
Then  there  is  a  word  of  perfect  trust,  the  same  trust  that 
all  his  life  had  sustained  him:  "Father,  into  thy  hands 
I  commend  my  spirit"  (Luke  23.  46). 

The  Word  from  the  Psalm. — But  there  is  one  word 
spoken  to  his  Father  that  seems  to  contradict  what  has 
been  said  of  the  spirit  of  trust  which  did  not  forsake  him 
even  in  this  hour.  The  word  is  a  prayer,  and  a  quotation 
from  the  Twenty-second  Psalm.  It  is  the  only  one  of  the 
seven  words  reported  by  more  than  one  Gospel:  "My  God, 
my  God,  why  hast  thou  forsaken  me?"  (Mark  15.  34). 
If  we  believe  in  that  Father-God  whom  Jesus  revealed,  then 
we  cannot  think  that  he  deserted  Jesus  in  the  hour  of  his 
deepest  need  and  his  divinest  obedience.  Was  there,  then, 
a  moment  of  darkness  in  which,  under  awful  strain,  Jesus 
for  a  time  lost  that  sure  faith  ?  The  question  is  answered 
if  we  look  more  closely.  We  have  seen  how  Jesus  turned 
to  the  words  of  the  Scriptures  in  the  great  crises.  At  the 
temptation  it  was  the  book  of  Deuteronomy  especially. 
When  the  prospect  of  suffering  and  death  faced  him,  he 
turned,  as  we  have  seen,  to  the  second  part  of  Isaiah.    In 


THE  CKUCIFIXION  187 

this  last  hour  he  sustained  his  spirit  with  the  words  of  the 
psalmist.  But  we  may  rightly  assume  that  it  was  the 
psalm  as  a  whole  that  was  in  Jesus'  thought,  and  not  simply 
the  first  words  here  reported  which  perhaps  alone  were 
heard.  If  we  read  the  whole  psalm  we  shall  find,  indeed, 
a  cry  of  distress,  spoken  by  a  saint  beset  by  his  foes;  but 
there  is  also  a  song  of  trust.  It  expressed  in  that  hour 
the  deep  sorrow  of  Jesus,  but  it  set  forth  also  his  victorious 
faith. 

"Our  fathers  trusted  in  thee: 
They  trusted,  and  thou  didst  deliver  them. 
They  cried  unto  thee,  and  were  delivered: 
They  trusted  in  thee,  and  were  not  put  to  shame"   (Psalm 
22.  4,  5). 

The  most  terrible  feature  of  the  crucifixion  was  the 
length  of  time  before  death  relieved  the  sufferer  of  his 
agony.  Sometimes  it  lasted  several  days.  With  Jesus  it 
was  a  matter  of  hours.  In  mid-afternoon,  with  a  loud  cry 
that  betokened  strength  still  left,  there  came  the  end. 

Directions  fob  Study 

The  Scripture  passage:  Mark  15.  15-41.  Note  also  Luke  22. 
63,  64;  23.  11,  26-31;  John  19.  17-30. 

Recall  again  the  swift  succession  of  events,  beginning  with 
the  quiet  supper  in  the  upper  room  the  night  before. 

Read  the  simple  story  as  given  by  Mark.  Read  it  slowly 
and  thoughtfully,  letting  the  picture  rise  before  you. 

Read  next  the  narrative,  keeping  the  Scripture  passages 
before  you.  Here,  as  elsewhere,  the  most  valuable  help  is 
Huck's  Synopsis  of  the  First  Three  Gospels,  or  the  Harmony  of 
the  Gospels,  by  Stevens  and  Burton,  which  print  the  various 
Gospel  stories  side  by  side.  The  heart  of  this  lesson  is  its 
revelation  of  the  Spirit  of  our  Master.  His  words  on  the  way 
to  the  cross  and  from  the  cross  may  well  be  our  chief  study. 

Set  forth  in  turn  your  answer  to  these  questions:  What  did 
Jesus  suffer  on  the  cross?  What  did  he  see  from  the  cross? 
What  did  he  say? 

Consider  what  the  cross  of  Christ  has  meant  in  the  Chris- 
tian faith:  (1)  as  a  revelation  of  God,  (2)  as  an  inspiration  for 
life,  (3)  as  a  power  reconciling  men  to  God. 


CHAPTER   XXIV 

THE  EISEN  CHEIST 

We  have  finished  the  story  of  Jesus*  life  and  work.  We 
have  seen  that  his  death  counted  for  more  than  any  deed 
wrought  during  his  life.  We  have  seen  how  large  space 
the  Gospels  give  to  these  last  days  of  his  passion,  how  the 
reports  become  full  and  detailed  which  had  been  but  frag- 
ments before;  the  last  week  was  the  crown  and  consumma- 
tion of  his  life.  And  yet  even  this  last  week  does  not 
complete  the  story.  All  this  does  not  yet  account  for  the 
early  church  and  for  Christianity.  If  we  stopped  with 
the  cross  and  then  began  with  the  church,  we  should  have 
an  insoluble  puzzle.  We  have  still  to  consider  the  story  of 
the  resurrection.  The  cross  is  the  center  of  apostolic 
preaching,  but  it  is  not  the  cross  of  a  dead  hero,  but  of  a 
living  Saviour.  It  is  a  living  Christ  that  fills  the  pages 
of  Paul,  and  not  the  mere  memory  of  a  past,  however 
glorious.  And  that  is  true  of  those  others  that  knew  Jesus 
in  the  flesh.  They  remembered  lovingly  and  they  studied 
earnestly  the  story  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth;  they  preserved 
for  us  the  record  of  his  gracious  words  and  wonderful 
deeds.  But  all  the  time,  in  the  midst  of  these  stories  of 
humble  service  and  shameful  death,  they  are  looking  for- 
ward and  thinking,  ''This  is  our  living  Lord."  Strictly 
the  story  of  these  appearances  of  the  risen  Christ  and  of 
the  faith  they  awakened  belongs  to  the  history  of  the  early 
church.  We  need,  however,  to  include  them  here  also  in 
order  to  set  forth  the  full  fact  of  Christ  in  its  meaning  for 
the  development  of  the  kingdom  of  God  upon  earth. 

From  Despair  to  Confidence 

Apparent  Failure. — There  is  no  chapter  in  Christianity 
more  interesting  than  that  which  tells  of  the  great  change 

188 


THE  EISEN  CHRIST  189 

that  took  place  in  the  days  that  followed  the  death  of 
Jesus.  What  was  there  to  show  for  his  work  in  that  dark 
hour  of  the  cross  when  Jesus  cried,  "It  is  finished"?  We 
should  have  seen  but  little  had  we  stood  there  that  day. 
We  have  seen  how  Jesus  centered  his  work  more  and  more 
upon  the  twelve.  He  had  tried  to  show  them  two  things: 
first,  the  nature  of  the  Kingdom ;  second,  the  nature  of  his 
own  work  as  one  of  service  and  suffering  that  was  to  end 
on  the  cross.  Jesus  had  failed  to  win  the  nation;  he  had 
succeeded  only  in  part  with  the  twelve.  The  dream  of 
earthly  power  and  glory  had  lingered  till  the  end.  They 
could  not  grasp  the  fact  or  the  meaning  of  his  death.  They 
realized  that  there  was  danger,  and  they  had  two  swords 
with  them  on  the  night  of  the  arrest;  but  they  had  ex- 
pected no  such  end.  When  Jesus  was  seized  they  fled. 
Most  of  them  remained  in  hiding.  They  were  overwhelmed 
and  apparently  without  hope.  Jesus  was  just  then  a  glori- 
ous and  precious  memory,  but  that  was  all :  "We  hoped  that 
it  was  he  who  should  redeem  Israel." 

The  Change. — Then  came  the  change.  These  fearful 
men  come  out  of  their  hiding  and  stand  forth  boldly  in 
the  very  presence  of  those  who  slew  their  Master.  Their 
despondency  has  given  place  to  a  joy  such  as  they  had  not 
known  even  in  the  days  that  Jesus  was  with  them.  They 
have  a  message  and  cannot  be  silent,  a  hope  that  fills  them 
with  confident  rejoicing,  a  courage  that  nothing  can  shake. 
And  all  this  stands  the  test  of  time;  it  is  not  the  enthu- 
siasm of  a  moment.  Persecution  does  not  abate  it,  the 
years  do  not  lessen  it.  It  becomes  a  new  movement  of 
life  and  power.  It  spreads  through  the  Roman  world.  It 
lives  on  when  at  length  the  old  Roman  empire  passes,  until 
at  last  it  comes  to  our  own  day.  Only  one  thing  can  ex- 
plain all  this :  the  disciples  knew  beyond  a  doubt  that  Jesus 
lived,  that  his  death  was  not  a  defeat,  and  that  his  final 
victory  was  sure. 

The  Gospel  Recokds 

Some  Discrepancies. — When  we  turn  to  the  Gospel 
records,  we  meet  at  once  some  perplexing  questions.     The 


190  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

Gospel  stories  do  not  agree  in  various  points.  Take  the 
visit  of  tlie  women  to  the  tomb.  Was  it  Mary  Magdalene 
alone  (John  20.  1),  the  two  Marys  (Matt.  28.  1),  the  two 
Marys  and  Salome  (Mark  16.  1),  or  a  still  larger  number 
(Luke  24.  10)  ?  When  was  this  visit  made,  and  for  what 
purpose  ?  Did  they  see  one  angel  or  two  ?  Where  did  they 
see  the  angel,  and  what  did  the  women  do  ?  Other  differ- 
ences appear  as  we  compare  the  further  stories. 

The  Fundamental  Agreement. — In  times  past  scholars 
tried  to  reconcile  all  these  differences,  believing  that  any 
error  of  any  kind  must  make  the  whole  Bible  untrust- 
worthy. We  do  not  think  so  now.  These  records  were 
composed  a  generation  or  more  after  the  event.  The  writers 
have  preserved  for  us  the  accounts  current  at  the  time  of 
their  writing.  What  we  are  concerned  about  is  to  know 
whether  they  agree  in  the  central  facts.  And  here  there 
is  no  difference.  The  tomb  is  empty.  The  Lord  appears 
to  his  disciples :  to  Peter,  to  the  twelve,  to  the  women.  It 
is  no  mere  vision,  but  a  real  appearance;  Jesus  speaks  to 
them.  And  yet  all  agree  that  it  is  no  return  to  the  old  life 
of  physical  intercourse. 

Stoeies  of  the  Eesureection  and  the  Appearances 

Mark's  Story:  The  Interment. — Keeping  in  mind  that 
we  cannot  lay  too  much  stress  upon  details,  we  turn  to  some 
of  the  resurrection  stories,  and  first  to  that  of  Mark.  The 
death  of  Jesus  was  on  Friday  afternoon,  and  little  time 
was  left  to  care  for  the  body,  since  sunset  brought  the 
Sabbath.  The  disciples,  fearful  and  scattered,  could  be  of 
no  service  now.  In  this  emergency  Joseph  of  Arimathaea 
comes  forward.  A  member  of  the  Sanhedrin,  he  had  never- 
theless sympathized  with  Jesus,  and  was  probably  present 
at  Jesus'  death.  Hurrying  to  Pilate,  fearing  neither 
danger  from  the  governor  nor  the  hatred  of  his  associates, 
he  asks  for  the  body  of  Jesus.  In  a  new  tomb,  hewn  out 
of  the  rock  and  situated  in  a  garden  near  by,  he  gives  it 
honorable  burial. 

The  Women. — Very  early  on  the  morning  after  the  Sab- 


THE  RISEN  CHRIST  191 

bath,  Mark  tells  us,  the  women  came  to  the  tomb  to  anoint 
the  body.  The  body  had  been  in  the  tomb  but  a  little  over 
a  day  and  a  half,  although  it  was  the  third  day  according 
to  the  Jewish  mode  of  counting.  They  had  no  thought 
but  that  they  should  find  the  body,  their  only  question 
being  as  to  who  should  roll  away  the  stone  that  was  before 
the  tomb.  There  is  no  suggestion  in  Mark  that  a  Roman 
watch  was  present.  Arrived  at  the  tomb,  they  saw  it  open. 
Within  was  no  body,  but  instead  a  yoimg  man  robed  in 
white,  who  said,  "He  is  risen ;  he  is  not  here :  behold  the 
place  where  they  laid  him;"  and;  "tell  his  disciples  and 
Peter,  He  goeth  before  you  into  Galilee ;  there  shall  ye  see 
him,  as  he  said  unto  you."  Thereupon  they  fled  in  fear 
and  astonishment,  but  said  nothing  to  anyone.  Such  is 
Mark's  story  (Mark  15.  42-47 ;  16.  1-8) . 

Luke:  the  Walk  to  Emmaus. — One  of  the  most  beauti- 
ful of  this  group  of  stories  is  that  of  the  walk  to  Emmaus, 
found  in  Luke  alone  and  told  in  Luke's  matchless  fashion. 
It  is  a  picture  of  the  mood  of  the  disciples  after  Jesus' 
death :  their  sorrow  over  the  friend  that  is  gone,  the  thought 
of  great  hopes  now  shattered,  and  then  the  memory  of  the 
wonderful  days  to  which  they  turn  back  again  and  again. 
Cleopas  and  another  disciple,  neither  of  them  being  of 
the  twelve,  are  joined  on  their  way  to  Emmaus  by  a 
stranger.  As  they  pour  out  their  hearts,  their  companion 
points  out  to  them  from  the  Scriptures  how  it  was  needful 
for  the  Christ  to  suffer  all  these  things.  It  is  a  picture  not 
only  of  the  first  discouragement,  but  of  what  the  disciples 
began  at  once  to  do  as  soon  as  they  knew  that  Jesus  lived : 
to  study  the  Old  Testament  and  to  recall  words  of  Jesus 
but  half  understood  before,  all  pointing  to  this  way  of 
suffering  and  death  (Luke  24.  13-31). 

The  Eastek  Faith 

The  Easter  faith  is  the  faith  in  the  living  Christ.  We 
cannot  set  forth  its  full  meaning  in  a  few  words,  for  it  is 
at  the  heart  of  all  Christian  believing.  The  Easter  faith 
means,  first  of  all,  that  Jesus  was  the  one  sent  of  God. 


192  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

It  is  God's  voice  saying  to  men,  "This  is  my  beloved  Son, 
hear  ye  him."  We  read  Jesus'  words  and  say,  "This  is 
God's  word  to  us."  We  look  at  Jesus'  life  and  say,  "This 
is  God  showing  us  what  we  should  be."  We  hear  his  words 
of  invitation  and  his  promise  of  mercy  and  life,  and  we 
do  not  say,  "How  beautiful  if  it  were  only  true !"  We  say, 
"God  was  in  Christ  reconciling  the  world  unto  himself." 

The  Easter  faith  gives  to  the  cross  its  real  meaning. 
Without  Easter  day  the  cross  would  have  been  a  tragedy, 
for  our  day  a  long-forgotten  one.  At  most  men  might  have 
said,  "How  wonderfully  this  Jesus  of  Nazareth  loved,  and 
with  what  courage  he  died."  Now,  though  the  blackness 
of  man's  sin  still  remains  in  that  awful  deed,  the  cross 
itself  has  become  the  center  of  light.  We  see  in  it  the 
plan  and  purpose  of  God,  the  glory  of  his  righteousness, 
the  wonder  of  his  love.  It  is  this  faith  that  makes  the  cross 
the  sign  in  which  we  conquer. 

The  Easter  faith  means  that  Christ  through  the  Holy 
Spirit  is  a  power  in  this  world  to-day,  a  living  presence 
and  not  a  mere  memory.  It  was  this  thought  that  stirred 
Luther  in  one  of  the  darkest  hours  of  the  Eeformation, 
when  he  seized  a  crayon  and  wrote  all  over  floor  and  wain- 
scoting of  that  room  which  is  shown  still  to-day :  Dominus 
vivit!  Dominus  vivit!   (The  Lord  liveth  !  the  Lord  liveth !) 

The  Easter  faith  is  the  assurance  of  the  triumph  of 
Christ.  That  was  the  conviction  that  filled  with  joy  the 
hearts  of  those  first  disciples.  True,  their  hope  was  not 
fulfilled  as  they  expected,  for  they  supposed  he  would  come 
visibly  and  in  their  lifetime.  But  the  manner  in  which 
his  rule  shall  come  is  secondary,  and  men  differ  about  it 
still.  The  heart  of  our  faith  is  this :  Christ  is  the  revela- 
tion of  God's  purpose  for  the  world,  and  some  time  the 
spirit  of  Christ  shall  rule  all  the  life  of  men.  We  rejoice 
to-day  that  his  rule  has  been  growing  through  the  ages. 

And  finally,  the  living  Christ  means  that  we  who  trust 
in  him  shall  live  with  him.  The  Christian  argument  for  im- 
mortality is  not  taken  from  science  or  philosophy,  much 
less  from  supposed  spirit  messages  from  another  world. 
We  believe  in  immortality  because  we  believe  in  Christ, 


THE  KISEN  CHRIST  193 

and  in  the  God  and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  who 
raised  him  from  the  dead.  If  the  God  of  heaven  and  earth 
be  such  an  one  as  Jesus  showed  men,  then  we  may  confi- 
dently say :  "He  that  spared  not  his  own  Son,  but  delivered 
him  up  for  us  all,  how  shall  he  not  with  him  freely  give 
us  all  things  ?" 

DiBECTIONS  FOB  STUDY 

Read  1  Corinthians  15.  3-8;  Mark  15.  42-47;  16.  1-8;  Luke 
24.  13-31;  Acts  1.  1-11. 

Consider  first  the  change  with  the  disciples  themselves. 
Review  the  last  day  of  Jesus'  life  from  the  standpoint  of  the 
disciples,  beginning  with  the  Last  Supper.  Try  to  realize 
their  feelings  upon  the  dark  Sabbath  (the  day  after  the  cruci- 
fixion), and  then  when  they  were  assured  that  Jesus  lived. 

As  far  as  you  can,  compare  the  Gospel  stories,  their  differ- 
ences, their  agreement.  Note  the  one  joyous  conviction  that 
runs  through  them  all. 

Read  Paul's  account  and  see  what  this  conviction  meant  in 
the  early  church,  and  how  the  hope  of  the  early  church  rested 
upon  it. 

Consider  what  the  Easter  faith  means  for  us  to-day.  Take 
the  five  suggestions  made  in  the  discussion  one  by  one:  Christ 
as  the  true  Word  of  God  to  men;  the  cross  as  God's  deed,  and 
not  an  accident;  Christ  as  a  present  power,  the  assurance  of 
Christ's  triumph,  the  assurance  of  our  own  life  to  come.  In 
each  case  ask  yourself  the  question,  What  difference  would 
it  make  in  this  matter  if  Christ  had  not  been  raised?  Should 
not  each  of  these  questions  then  lead  us  to  a  prayer  of  thanks- 
giving to  Him  who  raised  Jesus  from  the  grave? 


CHAPTER   XXV 

A  REVIEW 

For  one  who  has  not  simply  read  but  has  studied  such 
a  course  as  this,  a  review  is  a  task  of  equal  pleasure  and 
profit.  It  is  not  necessary  that  it  shall  cover  the  whole 
course,  or  that  we  seek  to  recall  everything  we  have  learned. 
It  is  a  great  satisfaction,  however,  to  call  to  mind  the 
outlines  of  our  work,  to  gather  up  its  chief  results,  and  to 
see  how  much  we  have  gained.  Such  a  review  fixes  results 
and  assures  us  of  permanent  profit.  But  it  does  more. 
Now  that  we  have  covered  the  whole,  we  have  gained  a 
knowledge  which  lights  up  each  single  lesson  and  shows 
us  its  meaning  more  clearly  than  we  could  possibly  see  it 
at  first. 

The  Plan  of  the  Life 

Before  we  review  the  events  of  Jesus'  life,  let  us  ask 
first  as  to  its  purpose  and  plan.  Jesus  came  to  bring  the 
kingdom  of  God  upon  earth,  and  to  make  men  ready  for 
its  coming.  But  how  was  he  to  do  that?  John's  work  was 
very  simple ;  he  announced  that  the  Kingdom  was  at  hand 
and  called  the  people  to  repentance.  Jesus  saw  a  larger 
task. 

1.  It  was  his  task  to  teach.  The  people  did  not  know 
what  the  Kingdom  meant.  How  could  they  know  what  the 
rule  of  God  would  mean  when  they  did  not  know  God? 
He  must,  therefore,  show  them  God  and  what  the  life  in 
the  Kingdom  meant. 

2.  His  second  task  was  to  lead  men  into  this  life,  to  pre- 
pare them  for  the  coming  of  the  Kingdom.  To  this  end 
he  must  call  men  to  repent,  and  to  turn  to  Godin  humility 
and  trust. 

3.  He  was  to  serve  men  and  to  save  men.  The  Kingdom 
meant  the  overturn  and  overcoming  of  all  evil.    That  wagf 

194 


A  EEVIEW  195 

still  in  the  future,  but  his  presence  meant  a  beginning  of 
this.  Such  beginnings  could  be  seen  in  the  overthrow  of 
physical  and  mental  ills,  in  the  cure  of  the  sick  and  the 
demoniacs.  It  could  be  seen  in  the  forgiveness  of  men, 
which  meant  their  deliverance  from  the  rule  of  sin.  Heal- 
ing and  forgiving  were  therefore  to  be  a  part  of  his  work 
in  bringing  in  the  Kingdom.  It  was  a  quiet  beginning, 
like  the  hidden  leaven  or  the  almost  invisible  mustard  seed, 
but  it  meant  a  real  presence  of  God's  rule. 

4.  He  must  train  a  group  of  men  for  the  future  work 
in  the  Kingdom.  These  men  must  be  his  special  com- 
panions and  receive  his  special  instruction. 

5.  He  must  show  himself  to  the  people  as  jMessiah,  and 
call  upon  them  to  accept  him  and  to  follow  him.  He  could 
not  do  this  at  first,  for  the  people,  with  their  earthly  and 
political  ideas  of  the  Kingdom,  were  not  ready.  When  and 
how  he  should  proclaim  himself  was  one  of  his  problems. 

Such,  it  seems,  was  the  work  to  which  Jesus  looked  for- 
ward at  the  beginning,  and  to  these  ends  he  remained  true. 
We  have  seen  how  he  looked  to  the  Father  for  guidance 
as  to  the  way  by  which  he  should  reach  these  ends.  Fol- 
lowing that  way,  he  saw  that  the  road  led  to  Jerusalem  and 
death  and  that  his  death  was  to  be  his  last  and  greatest 
service.  From  this  study  of  Jesus'  purpose  and  plan  we 
turn  to  the  life  and  note  the  great  steps  by  which  these 
were  carried  out.  The  numbers  in  parenthesis  refer  to  the 
chapters. 

The  Beginnings — Chapters  IV  to  VI 

John. — Down  by  the  Jordan  a  great  prophet  begins  his 
work.  He  rouses  all  Israel  by  announcing  that  the  long- 
looked-for  Kingdom  is  at  hand.  Then,  in  searching  word, 
he  calls  them  to  repent  as  the  necessary  preparation  (IV). 

The  Baptism  and  Call. — In  northern  Galilee  the  boy 
Jesus  has  grown  up  in  perfect  fellowship  with  the  Father, 
his  heart  full  of  God  and  the  thought  of  the  promised 
deliverance.  He  hears  of  this  prophet  John  and  of  his  call 
to  repentance.  He  goes  and  listens.  He  knows  this  man 
is  of  God  and  offers  himself  for  baptism.     In  that  hour 


196  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

he  receives  a  new  baptism  of  the  Spirit  of  God  and  the 
assurance  that  he  himself  is  the  looked-for  deliverer  (V). 
The  Wilderness. — Moved  to  the  depths  of  his  being, 
Jesus  withdraws  from  men  that  he  may  face  liis  great  tasii 
in  meditation  and  prayer.  The  question  of  how  he  shall 
do  his  work  is  the  occasion  for  temptations,  but  also  for  his 
great  decision.  He  will  not  win  recognition  by  working 
wonders,  such  as  casting  himself  from  a  temple  pinnacle. 
He  will  not  make  any  compromise  in  order  to  win  power, 
for  that  would  be  worshiping  the  prince  of  this  world  in- 
stead of  God.  And  he  will  not  try  to  save  himself  from 
any  peril,  even  from  death  by  hunger.  He  will  simply  do 
his  Father's  will  and  trust  (VI). 

The  Galilean  Ministry — Chapters  VII  to  XI 

Not  in  Judaea,  but  in  his  own  Galilee,  Jesus  begins  his 
public  work.  We  may  ask  two  questions  about  this  work 
in  Galilee :  What  did  Jesus  do  ?    What  was  the  result  ? 

Preaching. — Jesus  begins  his  work  simply  and  quietly 
as  a  traveling  preacher,  with  headquarters  at  Capernaum. 
From  village  to  village  he  goes  teaching  men  about  God 
and  the  Kingdom  and  the  true  life,  and  calling  them  to 
repent  (VII). 

Healing. — He  takes  up  his  work  of  service,  especially 
to  the  sick  and  the  demoniacs.  While  this  stirs  great 
enthusiasm,  Jesus  refuses  to  become  a  mere  healer,  or  to 
perform  wonders  in  order  to  win  followers  (VIII). 

Forgiving. — At  the  same  time  Jesus  carries  on  his  minis- 
try to  the  sinful.  Among  those  wlio  turn  to  him  are  social 
outcasts,  like  the  tax  gatherers  and  harlots,  as  well  as  many 
common  folks  who  had  given  up  trying  to  be  religious 
because  of  the  burden  of  endless  rules  imposed  by  the 
scribes.  His  association  with  these  people  rouses  bitter 
hostility  with  the  scribes  and  Pharisees  (IX). 

The  Twelve. — To  his  teaching,  healing,  and  forgiving 
Jesus  joins  a  fourth  work — training.  He  chooses  a  few 
men  that  they  may  go  with  him  and  that  he  may  prepare 
them  for  future  work  (X), 


A  REVIEW  197 

Results  in  Galilee. — Such  were  Jesus'  methods  in  this 
Galiljean  ministry.  What  were  the  results?  (1)  Great 
popularity  with  the  people.  This  had  no  real  religious 
depth,  however.  (2)  Misunderstanding  from  his  friends, 
his  townspeople,  and  even  his  own  family.  (3)  Bitter 
opposition  from  the  leaders  because  he  healed  upon  the 
Sabbath,  disregarded  their  other  rules,  and  associated  with 
•'sinners."  (4)  The  love  of  many  humble  folks  whom  he 
had  healed  in  body  and  soul,  and  the  loyal  trust  of  the 
twelve  and  other  disciples  (XI). 

Days  of  Waxdebing — Chapters  XII  to  XIV 

We  might  call  this  "Days  Apart  with  the  Twelve,'^  for 
that  was  the  special  significance  of  this  period  in  the  plan 
of  Jesus. 

In  Gentile  Lands. — Because  of  his  failure  with  the  peo- 
ple, his  open  break  with  the  leaders,  and  the  plots  against 
his  life,  Jesus  at  last  leaves  Galilee.  He  wanders  now  in 
Gentile  lands,  although  he  does  not  begin  a  ministry  to 
the  Gentiles  (XII). 

The  Confession. — There  follow  now  weeks  of  fellowship 
and  training  for  the  twelve,  whose  fruit  is  seen  in  Peter's 
confession  of  Jesus  as  the  Messiah.  The  simple  incident 
is  the  turning  point  in  Jesus'  work  (XIII). 

Trial  and  Triumph. — Jesus  at  once  begins  to  prepare  the 
disciples  for  that  end  of  suffering  and  death  which  he  had 
already  foreseen.  It  is  a  time  of  trial  and  crisis  for  Jesus. 
The  fate  of  John  and  of  other  prophets  has  helped  to  make 
clear  what  his  own  end  is  to  be.  The  "suffering  servant" 
of  Isaiah  suggests  how  his  own  suffering  and  death  may 
serve  God's  end  and  the  saving  of  men.  In  need  of  guid- 
ajice  and  strength  he  goes  up  into  the  mountain  to  pray 
with  his  three  friends.  The  mount  of  conflict  becomes  a 
mount  of  triumph  and  transfiguration  (XIV). 

Facing  Jerusalem — Chapter  XV 

The  Last  Journey. — From  the  far  north  Jesus  turns 
toward  Jerusalem,  with  but  a  brief  visit  to  the  old  scenes 


198  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

in  Galilee.  He  must  offer  himself  as  Messiah  in  the  city 
of  his  people,  though  he  knows  it  will  mean  death.  The 
disciples  protest,  but  they  remain  faithful  and  follow. 
On  his  way  Jesus  carries  on  his  work  of  teaching  and  serv- 
ing as  before.  He  shows  his  disciples  what  is  the  law  of 
life  and  the  demand  of  the  Kingdom:  to  gain  one's  life 
by  giving  it,  to  serve  instead  of  ruling,  and  to  count  noth- 
ing one's  own  since  it  belongs  to  God  and  his  kingdom 
(XV). 

The  Last  Days — Chapters  XVI  to  XXIV 

The  last  days  at  Jerusalem  cover  but  a  week,  from  the 
Sunday  of  the  entry  to  the  Sunday  of  the  resurrection — 
a  week  of  conflict  and  suffering  between  these  two  days  of 
triumph.  But  what  crowded  and  momentous  days  make  up 
this  week !  Instead  of  trying  to  recall  the  events  in  order, 
we  will  look  at  the  important  aspects  of  this  week  as  it 
bears  upon  Jesus'  work  for  the  Kingdom. 

1.  Jesus  offers  himself  to  the  people  as  Messiah.  He 
does  not  do  it  in  so  many  words,  but  he  makes  it  clear 
for  any  who  would  see.  He  declares  it  in  the  acted  parable 
of  the  entry  (XVI),  in  the  spoken  parable  of  the  vineyard 
(XVII),  and  finally  before  the  council. 

2.  He  warns  and  appeals,  pointing  out  what  is  in  store 
for  the  city  (XVII). 

3.  He  denounces  the  false  leaders  of  the  people.  His 
attack  upon  the  priests  was  in  the  cleansing  of  the  temple 
(XVI) ;  that  upon  the  scribes  and  Pharisees  was  in  re- 
peated addresses  (XVIII).  In  this  again  he  is  simply 
appealing  to  the  people  and  trying  to  save  them  by  turning 
them  from  their  false  leaders  to  the  true  Messiah, 

4.  He  prepares  his  disciples  for  the  future.  He  warns 
tliem  of  coming  trials,  urging  them  to  prayer  and  watch- 
fulness and  faithfulness  in  service  (XIX).  He  tells  them 
again  of  his  death,  and  tries  to  show  them  its  meaning. 
In  the  symbols  of  bread  and  wine  taken  from  the  table 
at  their  last  supper  he  sets  forth  how  his  life  is  to  be  given 
for  them,  and  how  his  death  is  to  establish  a  new  covenant 
of  God's  loving  purpose  (XX). 


A  REVIEW  19!) 

5.  He  seals  his  devotion  to  men  and  his  obedience  to 
God  in  a  night  of  conflict  and  a  day  of  suffering  and  death. 
The  struggle  in  Gethsemane,  the  injustice  and  mockery 
and  shame  of  his  trials  before  the  council  and  Pilate  and 
Herod,  the  agony  of  scourging,  and  the  death  on  the  cross, 
all  come  within  but  little  more  than  half  a  day  (XXI  to 
XXIII). 

6.  He  rises  from  the  dead.  The  Christ  whom  his  disci- 
ples remember  is  the  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  and  they  dwell 
upon  his  wonderful  words  and  the  memory  of  his  gracious 
deeds;  but  they  think  of  him,  not  as  a  friend  in  the  past, 
but  as  risen  Lord  sitting  upon  the  right  hand  of  God, 
giving  to  men  the  Holy  Spirit,  coming  again  in  triumph 
to  reign  (XXIV). 

Directions  foe  Study 

No  chapter  will  reward  study  more  richly  than  this  review. 
Together  with  the  next  chapter  which  also  looks  back  over  our 
course,  it  gives  the  opportunity  to  sum  up  results  and  conclu- 
sions, to  fix  them  in  our  minds  for  permanent  enrichment,  and 
to  see  their  meaning  for  thought  and  life. 

Read  the  Gospel  of  Mark.  It  can  be  done  easily  in  an  hour. 
It  is  the  oldest  Gospel,  and  the  shortest.  It  gives  the  deeds 
of  our  Lord  rather  than  his  teaching,  and  it  gives  the  arrange- 
ment of  the  events  in  order  of  time  better  than  any  of  the 
others.  If  you  cannot  read  every  chapter,  go  through  it  and 
read  the  most  important. 

Make  a  rough  outline  for  yourself  as  you  read.  Note  at 
least  the  following  main  divisions:  The  Ministry  in  Galilee; 
Beyond  the  Borders  of  Israel  (Mark  7.  24) ;  On  the  Way  to 
Jerusalem  (see  10.  1  and  10.  32) ;  and  The  Last  Week.  After 
this  review  of  Mark's  Gospel,  go  back  and  read  this  chapter. 

Try  to  answer  these  two  main  questions:  (1)  What  was  the 
life  task  which  Jesus  set  for  himself?  (2)  By  what  steps  did 
he  accomplish  his  end? 


CHAPTER   XXVI 

THE  ACHIEVEMENT  AND  THE  CHALLENGE  OF 
JESUS'  LIFE 

We  have  studied  the  life  of  Jesus  and  followed  it  till 
his  death.  We  have  one  more  question  to  ask :  What  did 
he  accomplish  by  his  life?  When  on  that  dark  day  he 
cried  out,  "It  is  finished,"  what  had  he  done?  For  the 
purpose  of  this  lesson  we  will  put  the  question  in  simpler 
form  and  ask :  What  did  Jesus  leave  behind  ? 

The  Heritage 

The  Teaching. — Jesus  left  his  teaching.  "Never  man 
spake  like  this  man,"  was  what  they  said  in  his  day,  and 
the  years  have  made  his  teaching  only  the  more  wonderful. 
He  spoke  in  simplest  words,  so  that  children  might  under- 
stand, and  yet  no  man  ever  set  forth  such  profound  truths. 
He  never  proposed  a  system  of  philosophy  or  theology,  and 
yet  we  take  from  him  the  answers  to  the  deepest  questions 
of  life.  When  we  want  to  speak  our  highest  knowledge  of 
God  we  take  his  word,  Father.  When  we  try  to  express 
our  true  relation  to  others  it  is  in  his  term,  brother.  When 
we  think  of  what  we  should  be  and  may  be,  we  remember 
his  teaching  and  call  ourselves  God's  children.  And  the 
highest  hope  upon  which  we  can  venture,  the  faith  in  God's 
mercy  and  care  in  this  world  and  in  the  life  with  the 
Father  beyond,  both  rest  upon  him.  Other  writings  grow 
old,  but  the  book  of  his  words  that  has  guided  men  for 
nearly  nineteen  hundred  years  has  increasing  authority 
with  each  new  generation. 

The  Life. — Jesus  left  behind  his  life.  The  world  has 
many  treasures,  but  none  more  precious  than  his  memory. 
It  stands  before  our  selfish,  sordid,  anxious  lives,  rebuk- 

200 


THE  ACHIEVEMENT  OF  JESUS'  LIFE      201 

ing  us  and  smiting  our  guilty  souls.  It  shines  above  our 
littleness  and  weakness,  and  lures  us  on  by  showing  once 
for  all  what  manhood  may  be.  And  when  our  faith  grows 
weak,  we  look  again  and  see  not  man  but  God,  ''the  light 
of  the  knowledge  of  the  glory  of  God  in  the  face  of  Jesus 
Christ."  The  world's  greatest  revelation  alike  of  God  and 
man  is  the  life  of  Jesus  Christ. 

The  Leaders. — Jesus  left  behind  a  group  of  trained  men. 
How  imperfect  they  were  we  have  seen.  To  the  last  they 
had  their  selfish  ambitions  and  their  narrow  ideas.  But 
the  stamp  of  Jesus'  spirit  was  upon  them,  he  had  bound 
them  to  him  in  absolute  loyalty,  and  they  saw  the  meaning 
of  his  teaching  and  his  work  after  his  death.  It  was  these 
men  who  kept  alive  the  memory  of  his  life  and  words  and 
handed  them  down  to  us.  It  was  these  men  who  went  out 
to  preach  the  good  news.  They  became  the  rock  upon  which 
he  built  his  church. 

The  Fellowship. — Jesus  left  behind  a  fellowship.  We 
might  call  it  a  church,  but  that  would  be  misleading.  They 
were  not  organized.  They  had  no  formal  creed,  nor  even 
formal  officials  at  first,  though  the  twelve  were  their 
natural  leaders.  They  did  not,  indeed,  think  of  them- 
selves at  first  as  a  new  and  separate  organization  distinct 
from  the  Jewish  church.  But  from  the  first  there  was  this 
fellowship,  and  that  was  the  vital  matter,  as  it  is  still  in 
the  church.  They  had  a  common  faith  in  Christ,  and  they 
were  joined  by  a  common  spirit  of  love.  That  fellowship 
spread  in  a  few  short  years  throughout  the  Roman  world. 
It  overcame  the  barriers  of  race  and  rank  and  ancient 
prejudice.  It  has  outlasted  the  centuries,  and  it  spans 
the  whole  earth  to-day. 

The  Spirit  in  Others. — Jesus  left  behind  his  own  spirit 
in  the  lives  of  others.  It  means  much  that  such  a  life  as 
that  of  Jesus  was  once  lived  on  earth ;  it  means  more  that 
that  life  was  reproduced  in  others.  The  men  and  women 
of  the  New  Testament  all  unite  in  one  testimony,  that 
their  life  has  come  to  them  through  Jesus  Christ.  Th( 
greatest  of  them  declared :  "Christ  liveth  in  me."  "For  me 
to  live  is  Christ."    When  thev  asserted  that  there  was  none 


20a  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

other  name  given  under  heaven  wherein  they  must  be  saved, 
they  were  simply  confessing  their  own  experience.  He 
lilled  the  sky  of  their  faith.  Their  thought  of  God,  their 
ideal  of  life,  their  hope  for  all  the  future  were  alone  in 
him.  But  that  was  not  all.  They  were  men  of  a  new 
spirit  and  a  new  life  and  they  confessed  with  joy  that 
the  life  was  all  from  him.  And  we,  looking  back,  can  see 
it.  His  trust  in  God,  his  loyalty,  his  joy  and  hope,  his  love 
and  good  will  toward  men,  all  these  we  find  in  them. 
Some  of  them  had  been  narrow  Jews  like  Paul.  Others 
came  from  the  lowest  classes  of  the  Eoman  world.  Not  that 
they  became  perfect  saints ;  yet  with  their  joyous  hope  and 
brotherly  love  they  shine  forth  in  that  old  decadent  world 
like  stars  in  the  darkness  of  night. 

The  Gospels. — And  Jesus  gave  to  the  world  the  Gos- 
pels. We  cannot  strictly  say,  of  course,  that  he  left  them 
behind,  for  no  word  had  been  written  at  his  death,  and  the 
earliest  of  the  Gospels  in  its  present  form  did  not  come  for 
a  generation.  Jesus  himself  wrote  but  once,  and  then  with 
his  finger  upon  the  perishable  dust.  He  gave  no  directions 
for  writing  down  his  words  or  the  record  of  his  life.  And 
yet  he  is  the  creator  of  these  Gospels.  He  had  stamped 
upon  the  minds  of  these  men  his  unforgettable  words.  He 
had  lived  the  life  which  they  held  in  memory  as  their 
greatest  treasure.  When  they  went  forth  to  preach,  they 
knew  no  better  way  than  to  tell  the  story  of  his  life.  When 
they  wanted  to  instruct  their  converts  or  their  children, 
they  used  his  words.  So  they  kept  them  in  memory  during 
the  first  years  until  those  came  who  wrote  them  down  for 
their  day  and  ours. 

The  Holy  Spirit. — To  all  these  gifts  that  Jesus  left,  the 
men  of  the  early  church  would  have  added  one  other:  the 
gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  And  while  it  does  not  strictly  be- 
long in  our  study,  we  must  at  least  refer  to  it  here.  They 
felt  that  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit  was  through  Christ 
alone.  That  gift,  indeed,  could  have  come  at  no  other  time 
and  in  no  other  way.  The  Spirit  came  through  Christ; 
it  was  such  a  Spirit  of  holiness  and  love  as  they  had  known 
in  Jesus.    And  Jesus  henceforth  was  to  be  present,  not  as 


THE  ACHIEVEMENT  OF  JESUS'  LIFE      203 

person  in  one  place,  but  as  Spirit  in  the  hearts  of  all  his 
followers.  The  conviction  of  the  resurrection  and  the  gift 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  were  the  two  pillars  upon  which  there 
rose  that  victorious  early  church,  with  all  its  faith  and 
courage  and  love. 

The  Achievement 

The  Wonder  of  the  life. — The  wonder  of  Jesus'  achieve- 
ment appears  the  greater  the  more  we  study  it.  Here  is 
one  who  lived  till  manhood  in  a  little  provincial  village. 
His  public  ministry  was  but  two  or  three  years  at  the  most. 
Not  one  word  of  his  message  was  written  down  in  his  life- 
time. He  left  no  set  of  doctrines,  no  system  of  rules  or 
laws,  no  organization.  When  he  went  from  earth  he  left 
nothing  behind  but  the  few  garments  for  which  the  soldiers 
gambled,  and  probably  in  that  northern  village,  shaped  by 
his  carpenter  toil,  some  rude  beams  in  Nazareth  houses, 
and  some  ruder  plows  of  wood  such  as  her  peasants  used. 

The  Master. — And  yet  we  think  of  Jesus  with  right,  not 
simply  as  a  beautiful  spirit,  but  as  the  great  creative  power 
of  history.  We  reverence  to-day  the  man  that  does,  the 
man  who  creates :  captain  of  industry,  inventor,  statesman, 
engineer.  But  when  we  turn  from  the  lesser  to  the  higher, 
from  the  realm  of  things  to  the  kingdom  of  the  soul,  then 
there  is  only  one  Master  and  his  name  is  Jesus.  He  is 
Master  in  the  empire  of  faith ;  men  see  God  to-day  as  Jesus 
showed  him,  men  pray  to  God  by  the  name  he  taught  them. 
He  is  the  ruler  of  conscience;  we  have  no  higher  ideal  for 
our  conduct  than  that  which  he  gave  in  his  word  and  life, 
we  have  no  higher  standard  for  the  life  of  man  with  man 
than  his  spirit.  He  is  the  Lord  of  our  hopes.  We  dare  to 
cry  for  pardon  because  he  has  made  us  believe  in  the  mercy 
of  God.  We  ask  for  help  and  trust  in  God's  love  because 
we  believe  that  God  himself  was  in  that  love  and  mercy 
which  Jesus  showed  on  earth.  And  we  dare  to  face  the 
future  because  of  him;  he  has  made  us  believe  in  a  new 
world  of  righteousness  and  peace  where  he  shall  rule,  and 
in  that  other  world  where  we  shall  be  with  him  in  our 
Father's  house.    But  we  do  not  wait  for  some  future  age 


204  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

to  show  his  power;  day  by  day  we  bring  our  guilt  of  eon- 
science,  our  selfishness  of  life,  our  weakness  of  will,  and  he 
sends  us  forth  through  the  help  of  his  Spirit  to  walk  in 
newness  of  life. 

The  Eternal  Christ. — And  the  world  will  never  outgrow 
him.  Each  upward  step,  so  far  from  leaving  him  behind, 
only  shows  more  clearly  the  heights  that  he  presents  for  our 
achievement. 

The  Challenge 

His  Life  as  Rebuke  and  Challenge. — The  achievement 

of  Jesus'  life,  as  well  as  his  character,  would  seem  to  set 
him  wholly  apart  from  us.  And  yet  as  we  look  at  that 
life  it  comes  to  us  constantly  with  a  challenge.  It  says 
to  us :  This  is  how  you  should  live ;  this  is  what  you  should 
be.  The  greatness  of  other  men  often  separates  them  from 
us;  the  greatness  of  Jesus  brings  him  near  and  summons 
us  to  be  like  him.  We  wonder  that  one  so  far  above  us 
should  be  for  our  imitation,  until  we  realize  that  Jesus 
is  as  much  the  true  revelation  of  man  as  of  God.  That, 
indeed,  is  the  final  test  of  the  Christian :  is  he  Christlike  ? 
"If  any  man  hath  not  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  he  is  none  of 
his."  The  life  of  Jesus  is  the  rebuke,  the  challenge,  and 
the  invitation  to  our  lives  to-day.  To  make  this  clear, 
we  will  consider  a  few  outstanding  features  of  his  character. 

His  Faith. — Look  first  at  his  spirit  of  faith,  his  utter 
trust  in  God.  He  would  not  change  stones  to  bread  in 
fear  of  starving.  He  would  not  flee  danger.  He  did  not 
shun  the  cross.  Beset  by  constant  danger,  there  was  an 
atmosphere  of  quiet  and  strength  even  in  the  terrible  clos- 
ing days.  In  all  things  he  trusted  his  Father,  and  trusted 
absolutely.  How  that  life  rebukes  the  fears  that  make  us 
weak  and  the  anxieties  that  rob  us  of  peace.  How  it  chal- 
lenges us  to  fling  our  whole  life  upon  God,  joyful  in  his 
care,  confident  as  we  trust  his  great  purpose  for  us  and  for 
his  world. 

His  Obedience. — Then  there  was  his  obedience,  the  utter 
loyalty  of  his  life.  Like  the  needle  that  turns  to  its  pole, 
his  will  was  set  toward  God.    He  did  not  ask  about  safety 


THE  ACHIEVEMENT  OF  JESUS'  LIFE      205 

or  success.  That  will  was  his  joy  and  strength,  not  a 
burden;  he  called  it  indeed  his  meat  and  drink.  What  a 
rebuke  to  our  divided  lives,  which  want  to  be  good  and  yet 
keep  an  eye  turned  toward  other  ends  as  well.  What  a 
rebuke  to  those  negative,  impotent  folks  whose  only  good- 
ness lies  in  not  doing  much  evil.  What  a  call  to  take  sides 
with  God  in  the  great  fight,  to  make  God  and  righteousness 
the  passion  of  an  undivided  life. 

His  Good  Will. — If  we  choose  but  one  more  outstanding 
trait,  it  must  be  his  good  will  toward  men.  By  this  we 
do  not  mean  a  mild  benevolence  or  a  general  sentiment  of 
kindliness.  It  was  a  great  passion,  so  gracious  and  tender 
that  it  drew  the  least  and  the  weakest,  so  mighty  in  its  con- 
cern for  the  oppressed  that  the  wicked  trembled  at  its  in- 
dignation, so  divine  that  its  presence  meant  life,  so  utterly 
devoted  that  it  led  at  last  to  the  cross.  It  did  not  depend 
upon  what  men  were.  It  was  great  enough  to  include  the 
evil  and  unlovely,  the  loathsome  leper,  the  hated  taxgath- 
erer,  the  woman  of  the  street.  'Not  could  any  deed  of 
man  overcome  it,  not  the  enmity  of  priest  and  Pharisee  who 
hounded  him  to  death,  nor  the  brutality  of  the  soldiers 
who  plied  the  scourge  and  drove  the  nails.  Before  such 
love  we  stand  humbled  and  ashamed.  We  love  those  that 
love  us,  those  of  our  class  or  creed  or  kind.  We  exact  a 
toll  of  gratitude  when  we  perform  service  for  others.  And 
how  much  of  suspicion  and  prejudice  and  hatred  there  is 
still  left  in  this  year  of  the  great  war !  Have  we  prayed 
for  the  English  and  the  Germans,  for  the  Turks  as  for 
the  French,  not  for  success  of  arms,  but  for  the  welfare 
of  all  these  our  brethren?  What  a  challenge  it  is  to  our 
day,  this  love  of  Jesus  that  cuts  across  all  lines  that  divide, 
and  knows  in  men  only  the  children  of  one  Father,  our 
brothers  who  need ! 

DiBECTIONS  FOR  STUDY 

Read  Acts  10.  36-43. 

The  whole  New  Testament  is  a  witness  to  the  achievement 
of  Jesus'  life.  As  you  read  the  discussion  of  "The  Herit- 
age," take  your  New  Testament  and  find  for  each  point  an 
illustration  of  your  own.    Turn  to  some  passage  that  illustrates 


206  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

the  greatness  of  his  teaching,  perhaps  in  the  Sermon  on  the 
Mount.  Find  some  special  incident  which  shows  the  beauty 
of  his  life  and  spirit. 

Consider  Paul  as  an  illustration  of  the  transforming  power 
of  Christ,  and  read  1  Corinthians  13  as  a  portrayal  of  the 
spirit  of  Christ.  Paul  does  not  mention  the  name  of  Jesus  in 
this  chapter,  and  yet  this  is  as  true  a  picture  as  may  be  found 
in  the  Gospels. 

After  studying  what  is  said  under  "The  Challenge,"  add 
to  this  other  qualities  and  characteristics  of  Jesus  such  as  his 
courage,  his  patience,  his  friendliness,  his  reverence.  Ask 
yourself  what  these  mean  as  a  challenge  to  your  own  life. 

What  have  you  gained  from  this  course:  (1)  in  your  con- 
ception of  the  character  of  Jesus;  (2)  in  your  understanding 
of  what  he  did;  (3)  in  respect  to  what  he  means  to  you  per- 
sonally? 

Looking  at  the  world  of  to-day:  Where  do  you  see  the  influ- 
ence of  the  spirit  and  ideals  of  Jesus?  What  are  the  great 
needs  which  he  must  yet  meet? 


INDEX  TO  TOPICS 


The  letter  /  indicates  that  the  reference  extends  to  the  next  page, 
the  letters  ^  that  it  includes  two  or  more  following  pages. 


Accusations  against  Jesus,  173, 

175,  182. 
Adventism,  148f. 
Agony  in  Garden,  166. 
Alexander  the  Great,  15. 
Annas,  173f. 
Anointing,  157f. 
Antiochus  Epiphanes,  15ff.,  18. 
Apocalypses,  15,  17f.,  28f.,  148ff. 
Apocrypha,  14f. 
Apostles,  see  Twelve. 

Barabbas,  178. 

Baptism  of  John,  41;  of  Jesus, 

49f. 
Bartimseus,  124. 
Beginnings,  57ff. 
Between  the  Testaments,  14ff., 

23f. 
Bethany,  126,  157. 
Betrayal,  160f.,  167f. 
Burial,  190. 

Csesarea  Philippi,  101. 
Caiaphas,  173. 
Calvary,  182. 

Canon,  Old  Testament,  18f. 
Capernaum,  59f.,  68,  73,  93. 
Chai-acter  of  Jesus,  203ff. 
Charges  against  Jesus,  see  Ac- 
cusations. 
Church,  102ff. 
Cleansing  of  Temple,  128ff . 
Confession,  the  Great,  lOOff. 
Conflicts,  86ff.,  133f.,  139ff. 
Crisis  in  GaUlee,  94. 
Crucifixion,  183ff. 


Daniel,  17f. 

Death  of  Jesus,  foreseen  by  him- 
self, 55, 115;  Jesus'  thought  of, 
108flf.,  leiflf. 

Demoniacs,  66f. 

Departure  for  Jerusalem,  108. 

Departure  from  Galilee,  94. 

Diaphora,  see  Dispersion. 

Disciples,  the  first,  58ff.,  77; 
fidelity  of,  116;  training, 
116ff.,  168f.,  172,  185,  201f. 

Discipleship,  Conditions  of,  119f . 

Dispersion,  35. 

Easter  Faith,  19  If. 

Eklucation,  in  the  Law,  23f.,  45; 

of  Jesus,  46ff. 
Emmaus,  Walk  to,  191. 

Feasts,  Jewish,  46f. 
Fig  Tree,  Parable  of,  133. 
Forgiveness,  Ministry  of,  71ff. 
Friends  of  Jesus,  see  Disciples. 
Friendship,  its  place  with  Jesus, 

83f. 
FuUness  of  Time,  38f.    See  also 

Preparation. 
Future,     Message     concerning, 

147ff. 

Galilean    Ministry,    58f.,    92ff., 

196f. 
Gahlee,  48,  5Sf. 
Gentiles,  Jesus  and  the,  96ff. 
Gethsemane,  165flf. 
God,  Jesus'  idea  of,  74. 
Golgotha,  182. 


207 


208 


THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 


Gospels,  202. 

Gospel  discrepancies  and  agree- 
ments, 189f. 
Greece,  15f.,  32f. 

Healings,  65ff.,  88. 

Hellenism,  15f. 

Herod  Antipa.s,  40,  43,  116,  176f. 

Herodians,  ai,  140f. 

High  Priest,  173f. 

Holy  Spirit,  202f . 

Home  of  Jesus,  see  Education 

and  Kindred. 
Hope,   Messianic  or   Kingdom, 

26ff.,  35,  47f.,  52ff. 

Israel  Unfaithful,  134f. 

James,  Son  of  Zebedee,  60,  107, 

118. 
Jericho,  123f.;  Jericho  road,  125. 
Jerusalem,  Last  journey  to,  108, 

115ff.,     121f.;     entrance     of, 

125ff.;    lament    over,     135f.; 

destruction  of,  136f. 
John  the  Baptist,  38£f.,  140. 
John,  Son  of  Zebedee,  60,  107, 

118,  185f. 
Joseph  of  Arimathea,  190. 
Josephus,  15,  45f. 
Judaism,  14flf.,  22ff.,  33f. 
Judas,  160f.,  168fT. 
Judaea,  Beginnings  of  Work  in, 

58. 

Keys,  Power  of,  105f. 

Kindred  of  Jesus,  86f.,  186. 

Kingdom  of  God,  as  clue  to 
history,  13;  as  Jewish  hope, 
26ff.,  35,  47ff.;  nature  of,  98f.; 
consummation  of,  154f.,  174. 

Lament  over  Jerusalem,  135. 
Last     journey     to     Jerusalem, 

115ff.,  196f. 
Last  Supper,  159ff. 
Last  Week,  124ff.,  198f. 
Law,  19f.,  22ff. 
Legalism,  24ff.,  88fif. 


Levi,  sec  Matthew. 
Lord's   Supper,    Institution   of, 
leifif. 

Maccabees,  15,  17,  20f. 

Matthew,  73. 

Messiah,  and  Jesus'  thoughts  of 

himself    as   Messiah,   47,   50, 

51,    102,    108ff.,    r27f.,    135. 

173f.,    176f.     See  also  Hope, 

Messianic. 
Method  of  Jesus,  see  Plan  and 

Method. 
Mission  of  Jesus,  see  Plan  and 

Method. 
Mocking,  180ff.,  184. 

Nazareth,  48,  86f. 

Old  Testament,  36f.,  47,  llOf. 
See  also  Canon. 

Opposition  to  Jesus,  see  Popular- 
ity and  Opposition  and  Con- 
flicts. 

Passion  Week,  see  Last  Days. 
Perea,    Journey    through,    121, 

123. 
Peter,  59f .,  102fT.,  160,  164,  174f . 
Pharisees   and    Pharisaism,    26, 

71f.,  87f.,  90f.,  94f.,  127,  140f., 

143ff. 
Pilate,  175ff. 
Plan    and    Method    of    Jesus' 

Work,    51ff.,    58,    81f.,    96f., 

lOSff.,  164f.,  194f. 
Popularity  and  Opposition,  85ff. 

See  also  Conflicts. 
Praying  of  Jesus,  51,  69,  11  If., 

165f. 
Preaching  of  Jesus,  see  Teacher. 
Premillennialism,  28f.,  148f. 
Preparation     for     Christianity, 

30ff.      See    also    Fullness   of 

Time. 
Priests,  128ff.,  172,  184. 
I*rophet,  41. 
Prophets,  19. 
Publicans,  73f. 


INDEX  TO  TOPICS 


20\) 


Purity,  Ceremonial,  89. 
Purpose  of  Jesus,  see  Plan. 

Rabbis,  24. 

Religion,    Conception   of,    75f., 

90,  98f. 
Repentance,   Preaching  of,   40, 

78   131f 
Resiurection,  28,  112f.,  188ff. 
Return  of  Jesus,  153ff.,  174. 
Rome,  31f.,  129,  176,  183. 
Ruler,  Rich  Young,  120. 

Sabbath,  23ff.,  88f . 
Sadducees,  24,  141f.,  172. 
Samaritans,  98,  118. 
Sanhedrin,  31,  133f.,  140f.,  170, 

172,  174. 
Scourging,  177,  181. 
Scribes,    23,    90f.,    171f.,    184. 

See  also  Pharisees. 
Scriptures,  see  Old  Testament. 
Second  Coming,  153flf. 
Servant,  see  Service. 
Service  in  Jesus'  Life,  63f . 
Seven  Words  from  the  Cross, 

185ff. 
Sick,  Ministry  to,  see  Healings. 
Simon  of  CjTene,  183. 
Simon  the  Leper,  157. 
Sinners,  26;  Ministry  to  Sinful, 

70£f. 
Soldiers,  184f. 
Son  of  Man,  18. 
Sufferings  and  Death  of  Jesus, 

ins. 

Suffering  Servant,  llOff. 
Supper,  Parable  of,  132f. 


Sympathy  of  Jesus,  74. 
Synagogue,  23f.,  60f. 
Syrophoenician  Woman,  96. 

Talents,  Parable  of,  152f. 
Teacher,    Jesus    as,    57f.,    61f., 

131f.,  200. 
Temple,    cleansing    of,     127ff.; 

destruction  of,  147f.,  173f. 
Temptations    of    Jesus,     51ff., 

106ff.,  165ff. 
Traditions,  of  Elders,  24f . 
Transfiguration,  107ff. 
Trial  of  Jesus,  171ff. 
Tribute  Money,  140. 
Triumphal  Entry,  126ff. 
Twelve,  79ff .    See  also  Disciples. 

Universalism,  in  Old  Testament, 

30;  of  Jesus,  96ff. 
Upper  Room,  159flf. 

Vineyard,  Parable  of,  134f. 

Wanderings  beyond  Israel,  95ff., 

197. 
Warnings,  132f. 

Washing  of  Disciples'  Feet,  160. 
Way  of  the  Cross,  182f . 
Woes,  upon  cities  of  the  plain, 

92f.;  upon  Pharisees,  144. 
Women   among   the    Disciples, 

77f.,  121,  190f. 
Words  from  the  Cross,  185£f. 
Writings,  The,  19. 

Zacchasus,  123f. 


INDEX  TO  SCRIPTURE  PASSAGES 


Roman  numerals  refer  to  the   chapters  in  which  the  passages  so 
marked  are  treated  most  fully. 
Arabic  numerals  in  the  right  hand  column  refer  to  pages. 


Leviticus 
Chs.  11-15. 
15 


Chapter 
or  Page 

.     89 
.     41 


24.16 176 

Numbers 

15.  37^1 46,  61 

19 89 

Deuteronomy 

6.4-9 46,61 

6.13 54 

6.16 54 

8.3 55 

11.13-21 46,61 

25.5-10 142 

Nehemiah 

13.15-22 23 

Psalms 

22 36 

91.11,12 53 

22.4,5 187 

80.8-19 134 

118.22,23 135 

119 29 

Isaiah 

1 90 

5.1-7 134 

19.24,25 30 

40 ?4 

40.3 33 

41.8-11 114 

42.1-7 114 


Chapter 
or  Page 

Isaiah  (continued) 

52.  13fT 110,  114 

53.7 179 

56.  6,  7 128 

58.13,14 23 

61.  Iff 87 

61.1,2 114 

Jeremiah 

26.  8-12 173 

31.31-34 42,162 


Daniel 

1 

7.27.... 

8 

11.21-45. 

Hosea 
6.6 


Amos 
5.18. 

Joel 

2.28. 

Micah 
6..  .. 


Zachariah 
9.9.  ... 
13.7... 


Malachi 
4.5.. 


18 
18 

IS 
18 

90 

27 

42 

90 

126 
164 

101 


210 


INDEX  TO  SCEIPTUEE  PASSAGES 


211 


Chapter 

or  Pagf 

1  and  2  Maccabees 

1,14 

1  Maccabees 

Chs.  1  and  2...  . 

20f. 

2  Maccabees 

4. 12-15 

16 

6.  18ff 

21 

Matthew 

3. 13-17 

V,50 

4.1-11 

VI,  56 

4.5-7 

95 

8.11,12 

133 

8.13 

69 

8.19 

79, 119 

9.  28 

68 

9.35-38 

VIII,  69 

9.35,36 

65 

10.1-16 

X,84 

10.23 

149,  153 

11.7-14 

IV,  44  • 

11.14 

101 

11.20-30 

XII,  99 

11.21 

93 

11.23,24 

93 

11.25-30.. 

93f.,  107 

11.25 

75 

12.3-5 

89 

12.7 

89 

12.9-14 

94 

12.  10 

91 

12.  43-45 

66 

13.  52 

105 

13.55,56 

48 

14.2 

101 

14.5 

44 

15.1-20 

29 

15.12 

94 

15.26 

96 

15.28 

69 

16.13-20 

XIII,  106 

16.16-17 

102 

16.19 

105 

16.22 

112 

16.28 

149, 153 

17.10-13 

109 

Chapter 
or  Page 

Matthew  (continued) 

18.18 106 

19.1,2 121,122 

20.20 118 

21.4,5 126 

21.23-32 XVIII,  145 

21 .  23-27 139 

21.28-32 IX,  75,  70, 

140 
21.33-46 XVII,  134, 

138 

21.42 135 

22.1-14 133,138 

22.  L5-22 140 

22.15-40 XVIII,  145 

22.23-33 141 

22.34-40 142 

23.1-39 XVIII,  145 

23.29-36 109 

23.37-39 XVII,  136, 

138 

23 143ff. 

24.30 153 

24.  34 149,  153 

24.42-51 XIX,  155 

24.42-44 152 

24.  45-51 152 

25.1-30 XIX,  155 

25.  1-13 XIX,    152, 

155 

25.14-30 152 

26.25 161 

26.73 59 

27.3-10 XXI,    169, 

170 

27.  42,  43 ... .         184 

28.  1 190 

Mark 

1.14-22 VII,  63 

1.15 : 30 

1.21^5 VIII,  69 

1.21-28 67 

1.22 61,101 

1.45 XI,  85,  91 

2.1-17 IX,  76 

2.1 70 


212 


THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 


Chapter 
or  Page 

Mark  (continued) 

2.  3-5 70f . 

2.15-17 73,75 

2.18-28 XI,  91 

2.  18-22 89 

2.  23-28 89 

3.1-6 XI,  88,  91 

3.4,5 90 

3.6 91,94 

3.9 85 

3.13-19 X,  84 

3.13 79 

3.14 80 

3.20-35 XI,  91 

3.20 85 

3.31-35 XI,  86,  91 

3.35 78 

5.2-5 66 

5.18,19 79 

5.22 61 

5.25 66 

5.34 69 

5.36 69 

5.37 83 

6.6 87 

6.12-29 IV,  44 

6.20 44 

6.30-34 XI,  91 

6.31-33 85 

6.53-56 XI,  85,  91 

7.1-23 XI,  91 

7.1-5 89 

7.5-13 XII,  91, 94, 

99 

7.14-23 89 

7.  24-31 XII,  96,  99 

7.24 95 

7.  31 95 

8.27 95 

8.31-38 XIV,  114 

8.31,32 110 

8.33 113 

9.1-13 XIV,  114 

9.2 83 

9.9 112 

9.9-13 113 

9.18 66 


Chapter 
or  Page 

Mark  (continued) 

9.23 69 

9.30-32 XIV,  114 

9.30 95,108,114 

9.30-37 113 

9.33 95 

9.33-37 117 

9.  33-41 XV,  122 

9.34 113 

9.  38-41 117f. 

10.1 121f. 

10.17-45 XV,  122 

10.  17-31 120f. 

10.21,22 79 

10.32 115 

10.35-45 118 

10.39,40 119 

10.45 Ill 

10.46-52 XVI,    124, 

130 

10.52 126 

11.9-10 127 

11.15-18 XVI,  130 

11.  27-28 134 

12.13-17 97 

12.  18-22 90 

12.28-34 XVIII,  145 

12.34 90 

13.1-37 XIX,  147f., 

155 

13.5-8 150 

13.14-20 150 

13.24-27 150 

13.30 149 

13.  32 154 

14.1-25 XX,  163 

14.  1-9 158 

14.10-16 159 

14.  18-21 160 

14.22-25 161 

14.23 82 

14.24 162 

14.27 Ill 

14.32-52 XXI,  170 

14.33 83 

14.36 166 

14.  37 82 


INDEX  TO  SCRIPTURE  PASSAGES        213 


Chapter 
or  Page 

Mark  (continued) 

14.  41 167 

14.  53-72 XXII,  179 

14.53-59 173 

14.  60-64 174 

14.60 173 

14.  61 173 

14.65 181 

14.66-72 174 

15.1-15 XXII,  179 

15.  1 174 

15.2-5 176 

15.6-15 177 

15. 15-41 XXIII,  187 

15.18 181 

15.25 171 

15.29 173 

15.29,30 184 

15.34 186 

15.  39 185 

15.  40,  41 78 

15.42-47 XXIV,  191, 

193 

16.1-8 XXIV,  191, 

193 

16. 1 190 

Luke 

1.2 II,   29,  33, 

35,  37 

1.1—2.39 111,37 

2.  40-52 V,  50 

3.1-18 IV,  43 

4.  16-21 VIII,  65,  69 

4.16-30 IX,  86f. 

4.20 61 

4.21-30 XI,  91 

5.1-11 VII,  63 

6.15 38 

7.18-23 VIII,  65,  69 

7.33,34 64 

8.  1-3 X,   78,   84, 

121 

9.21-36 XIV,  114 

9.22 112 

9.28 112f. 

9.32 112 


Chapter 
or  Page 

Luke  (continued) 

9.43-45 XIV,  114 

9.45 113 

9.51-62 XV,      118, 

122 

9.  51 115 

9.52 121 

9.57-62 119 

9.58 120 

9.59,60 120 

9.  61 120 

9.62 120 

10.17-20 X,  84 

10.30-37 98 

11.2 62 

11.20-22 97 

11.20 67 

11.29-32 XII,  93,  99 

13.1-9 XVII,  132, 

138 

13.1-5 132 

13.  1 38 

13.6-9 133 

13.31-33 XV,        95, 

116,  122 

14.15-24 IX,   XVII, 

76,132,138 

15.1,2 IX,  76,  16 

15.  3-32 74 

18.  11 25 

19.1-10 XVI,  121f., 

124, 130 

19.29-40 XVI,  130 

19.40 127 

19.41-44 XVII,  136, 

138 

19.42 62 

20.39 142 

22.15 83,159 

22.27 Ill 

22.  28 83,  116 

22.  39 164 

22.63,64 XXIII,  181, 

187 
22.53 180 

23.  1-25 XXII,  179 

23.2 91,95 


214 


THE  LIFE  OF  JE«US 


Chapter 
or  Page 

Luke  (continued) 

23.6-12 177 

23.11 XXIII,187, 

23.13-16 177 

23.  26-31 XXIII,183, 

187 

23.  34 186 

23.35 185 

23.43 186 

23.46 186 

24.10 190 

24.13-31 XXIV,  191, 

193 

24.19 101 

John 

1.3.5-51 VII,  as 

6.66-68 XII,  99 

6.66 77 

7.49 72 

S.  1-11 138 

11.40 69 

13.1-30 XX,  163 

13.1-16 160 

13.  21-.30 160 

15.27 81 

18.10 167 

18.13 173 

18.15 174 

19.17-30 XXIII,  187 

19.  19-22 182 

19.26,27 186 

19.28-30 186 

20.  1 190 

21. 1&-17 103 

Acts 

1.1-11 XXIV,  193 

1.18-20 XXI,  170 

1.18 170 

1.21 79 


Chapter 
or  Page 

Acts  (continued) 

1.22 81 

5.  36,  37 38 

10.36-43 205 

17.22-31 33,37 

19.1-7 43 

19.23-27 130 

21.32 129 

21.38 38 

1  Corinthians 

3.9-16 105 

3.11 104 

9.  26,  27 170 

11.23-25 XX,      161, 

163 

13 206 

15.3-8 XXIV,  193 

Galatians 

2.20 201 

4.  4 30 

Ephesians 

2.19-22 105 

2.20 104 

Phihppians 

1.21 201 

2.  6-8 153 

3.  12-14 170 

2  Thessalonians 
4.13-15 154 

2  Peter 

3.4 155 

Revelation 

21.14 104 


Date 

Due 

C    1  i?  *^ 

r  16  iJo 

J 

F^     W 

A 


